The Talia Chronicles: Book One
by BreakFree01
Summary: Talia Josephs never expected to meet an alien and now she and her best friend, Rose Tyler, are traveling with one called the Doctor. But with the Tardis shocking Talia almost every time she is near the console and the words 'Bad Wolf' following them everywhere, Talia may find that her past wasn't as she believed it to be.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello and welcome to my first OC story. This story does follow Season One of the 2005 DW. and the Doctor may be OC in parts. Please kindly review and let me know what you think. And remember, be kind with your words! No one likes to be told their story is horrible so review as you wished to be reviewed. Thank you XD Enjoy!**

Chapter One

 _"This is a customer announcement. The store will be closing in five minutes. Thank you."_

 _Oh finally_ , Talia Josephs thinks as she looks to see the last of the customers for the night leaving. She pushes some of her black hair out of her face and her green eyes roam the store looking towards her best friend, Rose. "That's all for tonight, everything is cleaned up. Claudia! Paulette! We're done for tonight."

She laughs as she hears three sighs of happiness. "We weren't too busy tonight girls." She follows Claudia and Paulette towards the break room where there lockers where with her blonde friend Rose trailing behind her. "Everything alright Rose? You look at bit tired."

"Yeah, everything is alright. Had lunch with Mickey today."

Talia grabs her bag from her locker and then looks to her best friend. "And?"

She shrugs her shoulders and grabs her own bag, shutting her locker door. "And nothing. Sat at the fountain and just ate, chatted a bit."

Talia sighs as they walk out of the break room and towards the front doors, "You don't seem too thrilled about it. Is everything okay in paradise?"

Rose was about to answer when the day guard, George, walked up to Rose holding a familiar white bag. "Oi! It's your job to take the bag down to Wilson tonight, Rose."

Rose and Talia share a glance before Rose reaches out to grab the bag but Talia grabs it before she can. "Go home Rose. Call up Mickey and you two have a chat."

She groaned and snatched the bag from Talia. "No, I'll take the bag."

"Well I'll go with you then. Good night George! Tell your wife I said hello!"

George gave a rare smile and tipped his hat towards her. "Will do Talia, you two be safe going home."

Rose and Talia walked to the lift as George left and Rose looped her arm through Talias. As they waited for the lift doors to open Rose looked at her with a grin, "So has Miss Josephs found herself a man yet?"

Talia groaned and shook her head, her cheeks turning a bright red. "I don't need a boyfriend Rose. I am perfectly fine with how my life is right now. I have my best friend, Rose Tyler! Along with Mickey and your mum. That's all I need."

"You're twenty two! You need to go out and experience more in life!"

The doors opened and Talia practically ran into the lift, trying to stay away from the conversation. It's not like Talia have never fancied anyone, she just hadn't found the right person that she could see myself happy with for the rest of her life.

Rose seemed to sense that she didn't want to continue and bumped their shoulders against each other, "So why did you decide to come with me? You usually hate taking the lottery money down to Wilson. You think it's creepy down there."

She frowned, "It is creepy down there, anything could be in the darkness that seems to lurk in every inch down there." It was silent for a moment before they both began to laugh. "I've just had a feeling today that something was going to happen."

"Oh, one of your _feelings._ "

Talia laughed and pushed her away when she saw that Rose had a smile on her face. "Fine don't believe me, but when the dummies come alive and make a grab for you I will try not to say 'I told you so.'"

Rose rolled her eyes but she still had a smile on her face, "The dummies won't come alive."

"You say this now."

For as long as Talia can remember she had always believed in the things that couldn't be explained. Myths, aliens, the lochness monster. And every now and again she would get this strange feeling in her gut and that day something would happen. Whether it be good or bad, something always happened. Kids in her school figured this out and she was labeled as a freak. So in school Talia never really had any friends, that is until Rose. The small blonde headed girl in pigtails who was eight and while Talia was eleven, fought off three boys who where poking fun at Talia. She stood up for her like no one had before. Chased the boys all the way down the block then came back to make sure that Talia was okay. They have been best friends since then.

"So, you and Mickey?"

The smile was gone as she groaned, "I just don't know, Talia. When we started dating everything was great. I mean it still is great, Mickey is kind and attentive, the perfect boyfriend."

Talia leaned against the wall, "But?"

"Sometimes i just want something more, you know?

"I understand, but you should come clean with Mickey. If you feel like he isn't what you want right now then you need to tell him. He loves you Rose, if you need time to figure out what you want in a relationship with him then I'm sure he would understand and give you some time."

Rose sighed but Talia was reassured by the small smile she gave her, "You're right. I'll talk to him soon, I promise."

The lift jerked to a stop and Rose and Talia walked into the dark basement, which was silent, and illuminated only by a few lights. They walked towards a blue door that had a yellow _danger of electric shock_ sign attached to it that was also the office of H P Wilson, CEO.

"Wilson are you there? Rose and I have the lottery money." Talia said loudly as she knocked on the door.

She turned to Rose and grinned as she watch her bounce on the balls of her feet, getting impatient.

"We can't hang about 'cause they're closing the shop. Wilson! Oh, come on." Rose said, knocking on the door as well.

Both girls jump and spin as a noise echoes from down the hall. They exchange a glance with they begin to walk towards the noise slowly, Talia putting herself in front of Rose.

"Hello? Hello, Wilson, it's Rose and Talia. Hello? Wilson?" Rose says loudly as they walk towards a double door.

They share another look before Rose opens the door to the dark store room and Talia quickly finds the switch to turn on the lights. They look around but only see piles of boxes full of clothes and some dummies, no people

"Wilson? Wilson!" Talia said loudly, slightly worried now that he wasn't answering. He was a bit of a grouch but he always answered when called.

They had both walked further into the room and jumped when the door slams closed behind them.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me," Talia grumbled when they reached the door only to find it locked. Just when she was thinking this night couldn't get any worse, they hear more noise coming from a little further back in the store room.

"Is that someone mucking about? Who is it?" Rose yells. They both stood still and watched curiously as one of the dummies began to move and walks towards them slowly. "Yeah, you got me. Very funny. Talia, tell them to stop"

Talia froze as she stared wide eyed at the moving dummy. "Rose, I swear to you, whoever is doing this I had no part in it."

More noise begins to echo throughout the room as more of the dummies seem to come alive and began to walk towards the wide eyed girls.

"Right, I've got the joke. Who's idea was this? Is it Derek's? Is it? Derek, is this you?"

"Rose, I don't think that Derek has anything to do with this either." Talia grabbed Roses hand and yanked her behind her as even more or the dummies begin to move, they noticed too late that it had been backing them into a wall.

"This-this isn't funny anymore!" Rose yells at them.

Talia puts myself directly in between the dummies and Rose, if one of them was going to try and hurt Rose then they'd have to go through her first. One of the dummies raises its arm up, like it was going to karate chop Talia. She closes my eyes, bracing herself for the hit, but they snapped open when she felt a large warm hand wrap itself around her own. She turns her head to the side to see a man cloaked in darkness and that he also had a hold of Roses hand.

"Run." The shadow man said as he yanked both of their arms and began to pull them through storage room and out of the side door and down the basement hall that led to the lift.

The lift doors opened immediately and Rose and Talia followed the man into it, but not quick enough. One of the dummies arms grabbed a hold of Roses jacket and started pulling her back to the doors. Talia instantly raised her bag and started to hit the arm, trying to detach it.

"You could help me!" She yelled breathlessly to the man who was standing there watching them with a peculiar look on his face.

He nodded and grabbed the arm that had a hold of Rose and in a few pulls he had completely detached it from the dummy and the lift doors slid closed.

They all three stood in silence for a moment, Rose and Talia breathing heavily, before the man tossed the arm to Rose, which seemed to shake her out of the shock.

"You pulled his arm off." Rose said, still slightly out of breath. Talia looks wide eyed from the dummies arm to the nameless man standing by the lifts door.

She was finally able to see what he looked like in the light. He stood over six foot tall, his brown hair was close cropped and pretty blue eyes but his face had a slight frown on it. Some might say he had a hawk like face but Talia found she thought he was quite handsome, to her at least. Though his nose and ears stood out a bit on his face. He wore a red t-shirt with a black leather jacket over it and blue jeans. Talia blushed a light pink when she realized that she had been subtly checking him out, but he nor Rose seemed to notice.

"Yep. Plastic." He replied to Rose.

"Very clever. Nice trick! Who were they then, students? Is this a student thing or what?"

Talia seemed to finally find her voice and managed to stammer out, "I-I don't think this is a trick Rose, I mean look at that arm! If someone was in the dummy then it would have holes for the arms to fit through!"

The man glanced at Talia and then back to Rose, "Your friend is correct, why would they be students?"

"I don't know." Rose said while staring at the dummies arm that she held.

"Well, you said it. Why students?" He asked with a slight smile.

"'Cause to get that many people dressed up and being silly, they got to be students."

"That makes sense. Well done." He said turning back to the doors.

"Thanks."

"But it doesn't make sense!" Talia said while leaning up against the wall. "Students wouldn't have the technology capable of controlling a dummie to come at us. And it is obviously impossible that someone would have been inside the dummy. Like I said, they would holes to put their arms through and there are none at all."

The man hummed and looked at both Talia and Rose before nodding. "They're not students."

"Well, whoever they are when Wilson finds them, he's going to call the police." Rose says, still clinging to the arm.

"I forgot about Wilson! He's down there by himself! We have to go back!" Talia jumped forward to press the basement but the man grabbed her arm and stopped her before she could.

"Who's Wilson?"

"He's the Chief electrician of the building." She said, removing her arm from his hold and trying to press the button again.

"Wilson's dead."

Talia backed up and looked at him in shock. "He's dead?" She asked, shocked.

The man nodded and there was a flash of sadness on his face, but the lift doors opened and it was gone, Talia doubted she actually saw anything.

The man walked out of the lift, pulling something out of his pocket as we followed close behind him. "That's just not funny. That's sick!" Rose managed to get out.

He turned and pulled Rose and Talia further away from the lift before he turned back to the lift and aiming a small metal stick he pulled out of his pocket towards the lift button.

"Hold on. Mind your eyes." He warns before a mechanical whistling sound starts and the button starts to spark and the lights on it dim.

"I've had enough of this now." Rose says as Talia eyes the man who quite possibly saved them from some type of impossibly strange dummies. "Who are you, then? Who's that lot down there? I said, who are they?"

Talia grabs Roses arm and pulls her after the man, who was now walking away from them at a quick pace. "Oi! Who are you then? Man who came out of nowhere and pulled us out of the basement! And I'm sure you know what those things are too! So answer us, please!"

"They're made of plastic. Living plastic creatures. They're being controlled by a relay device in the roof, which would be a great big problem if I didn't have this." He holds up a small bomb as he opens a set of double doors that lead outside. Talia and Roses eyes widen as they see what he is holding and then step out into the cool night air.

"So, I'm going to go up there and blow them up, and I might well die in the process, but don't worry about me. No, you both go on home. Go on. Go and have your lovely beans on toast. Don't tell anyone about this, because if you do, you'll get them killed." He nods to them both and then he disappears, the doors closing behind him.

"You can't stay in there if it's going to blow!" Talia yells incredulously, while opening the door and gaining his attention.

"I know what I'm doing!" He say simply and then closes the door again. They stand there for a moment staring at the door before it opens again. "I'm the Doctor, by the way. What are your names?"

"Rose."

"I'm Talia."

"Nice to meet you, Rose, Talia. Run for your lives!" Once again the door closes and Talia just looks at Rose slightly panicked before they both reach for each others hand at the same time and begin to run down the street.

They ran, as fast as they could, dodging people, buses, and taxis. Talia could feel my heart pounding in her chest, going faster than it ever had before, adrenaline pumping through her as they ran as far away from Henrik's as we could.

Talia pulled Rose to a stop once she thought they were a good distance away from their workplace before they were almost thrown off of their feet when the store suddenly exploded. People began to scream and run away from the burning building as Rose and Talia only stared in shock. Talias mind went to the man who called himself the Doctor and she hoped that he had been able to make it out of there, away from the plastic creatures, before the building blew.

She looked towards Rose as she slipped her hand back into Talias' and began to pull her towards Powell Estates where Jackie Tyler would be waiting in their flat and would have surely already heard about the explosion and was waiting impatiently for news about Rose.

With one more glance towards Henrik's, Rose and Talia quickly continued to walk towards Powell Estates.

0o0o0o0o0

 _"The whole of Central London has been closed off as police investigate the fire. Early reports indicate-"_

Talia opened her eyes from her place on the Tyler's sofa to see Roses mother Jackie walk into the living room with a glass of tea for Talia and Rose while talking on the phone, cutting off whatever was being said on the telly.

"I know. It's on the telly. It's everywhere. They're lucky to be alive. Honestly, it's aged both of them. Skin like an old bible. Walking in now you'd think I was Roses daughter. Of course Talia is here as well! She and Rose have been attached at the hip for years! Oh, and here's himself."

Talia turned her head as she heard the front door open and she smiled as Roses worried boyfriend, Mickey, walked in and ran straight to Rose and pulls her into a hug. "I've been phoning your mobile. You could've been dead, both of you! It's on the news and everything. I can't believe that your shop went up!"

"We're both all right, honestly, I'm fine! Don't make a fuss." Rose said to him.

Mickey sits in between the two of them and looks to Rose in worry. "Well, what happened?

"I don't know!" She said tiredly.

"We were both walking home when the explosion happened." Talia put in.

"What was it though? What caused it? Do either of you know?"

Rose shook her head, "Like Talia said, we weren't in the shop. We were both outside. Didn't see anything.

MIckey was about to say something else when Jackie's walks back in, holding her hand over the phone. "It's Debbie on the end. She knows a man on the Mirror. Five hundred quid for an interview."

"Oh that's brilliant!" Rose says with fake enthusiasm, "Give it here."

Talia puts a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh as Rose takes the phone and hangs it up, then hands it back to her mum.

Jackie frowns, "Well, you've got to find some way of making money, both of you. Your job's kaput and I'm not bailing you out, Rose." The telephoning ringing cut through whatever reply Rose would have have as Jackie immediately answers it and begins to talk. "Bev! They're alive. I've told them, sue for compensation. They were within seconds of death."

Mickey took that moment to turn to Rose with a small smile, "What're you drinking, tea? Nah, nah, that's no good, that's no good. You're in shock. You need something stronger."

Talia watched as Rose frowned and shook her head, "I'm all right."

"Now, come on, you deserve a proper drink. We're going down the pub, you and me. My treat. How about it?"

Rose looked at Talia before looking back at Mickey, "What about Talia? Is there a match on?"

"No, I'm just thinking about you, babe. And yeah, Talia can come if she really wants to."

Talia shook my head, "No thanks, I'm not up for going anywhere at the moment. I think I'm gonna crash here tonight."

Rose smiles at her and then looks at Mickey with a sigh, "There's a match on, ain't there."

Mickey grimaced as Rose realizes there is a match one. "That's not the point, but we could catch the last five minutes."

Talia stands as Rose just shakes her head and walks Mickey to the front door. "Go on, then. I'm fine, really. Go. Get rid of that." She grimaces as she watches Rose grab the dummies arm, Talia hadn't even realized that Rose had carried it all the way back to the flat.

As soon as Mickey leans in to kiss Rose goodbye Talia turns around and walk into Roses bedroom and lays down on her pink bed, waiting for Rose to finish saying goodbye to Mickey.

A few minutes later Rose walks into her bedroom and lays down next to her.

"Tomorrow," She says after a moment. "Tomorrow I'll talk to him. It's has been to crazy today to have that conversation. So the dummies coming alive, huh?

Talia groaned and buried her face in her hands, "I told you I had a feeling something was going to happen."

Rose yawned and turned over, facing away from Talia, "Remind me to never doubt one of your _feelings_ again"

Talia nods and a moment later she hears Roses soft snores, telling her that she is asleep. Talia grabs an extra blanket and stumbles into the small guest room and then she collapses onto the twin size bed. She sighs and closes her eyes, her thoughts once again drifting to the Doctor before she drifts off to sleep to the sound of the telly, bleeding through the walls.

 _"Fire then spread throughout the store. Fifteen fire crews are in attendance though it's thought there is very little chance of saving the infrastructure."_

0o0o0o0o0

Talia woke up at a quarter past eight to hear Jackie and Rose talking. She stood up and pulled on a pair of jeans and and a blue top of of the small dresser that had her clothes in it and then quickly changed.

She walked into the dining room when she was done to see Rose sitting at the table, picking at her food at grumbling about the butchers and Jackie watching her.

"Oh, good morning Talia. Hungry?" Jackie asked with a smile.

She shook her head, "No thank you Jackie. Not really in the mood for anything right now. Thank you though."

She nods and pats my shoulder, "Just let me know if you do." She smiles one more time at her and then looks back to Rose as Talia lays her head down on the table. "Well, the butchers might do you good. That shop was giving you airs and graces. And I'm not joking about compensation. You've had genuine shock and trauma. Arianna got two thousand quid off the council just because the old man behind the desk said she looked Greek! I know she is Greek, but that's not the point. It was a valid claim."

Rose and Talia share a look and laughed when Jackie walked out of the dining room and into her bedroom to get ready for the day. Rose groaned and stands up when she heard the cat flap start to rattle.

Talia stands and follows behind Rose as she walks towards the door. Rose looks at the cat flap and then yells, "Mum, you're such a liar. I told you to nail that cat flap down. We're going to get strays."

"I did it weeks back!" Jackie replied from her room.

"No, you thought about it." Rose grumbled and she leaned down and froze. Talia frowns and picked up a one of the four screws that were now on the floor. They looked at each other for a moment before Rose leaned down further to look through the cat flap only to gasp and jump back.

"What?" Talia asked, startled.

Rose quickly opened the door and Talia saw what made Rose jump back, the Doctor was standing on the other side with a frown on his face.

"What're you doing here?" He asked looking at Rose, not noticing Talia standing towards the side.

"I live here." She said as if it was the most obvious option.

"Well, what do you do that for?" Talia laughed and that got his attention. "Hello again. You live here as well then?"

She shook her head with a smile as Rose continued to look at him with a frown. "Because I do. I'm only at home because someone blew up my job."

"I must have got the wrong signal. Neither of you are plastic, are you?" He pulled out his mechanical stick that began whistling again and shine a blue light before he shook his head. "No, boneheads. Bye, then."

"You. Inside. Right now." Rose all but growled out as she grabbed the Doctors arm and pulled him inside.

"Hello again Mr. Doctor." Talia said with a smile as he looked slightly shocked that Rose had grabbed him.

"Oh, no. Just the Doctor."

"Okay then, 'just the Doctor.'"

"Who is it?" Jackie yelled from her bedroom.

Rose and Talia walked past her bedroom door with the Doctor following them.

"It's about last night. He's part of the inquiry. Give us ten minutes." Rose said, making something up on the spot.

"She deserves compensation." Jackie says when she sees the Doctor in the doorway.

"Oh, we're talking millions." He said while looking around. Rose walked into the kitchen and Talia turns to see the Doctor still in the doorway to Jackies room. She stifled a laugh as Jackie began to flirt.

"I'm in my dressing gown." Jackie said while pressing her gown down.

"Yes, you are." Talia covered her eyes, unable to watch. He didn't seem to know where she was going with this.

"There's a strange man in my bedroom."

"Yes, there is."

"Well, anything could happen." She took a step closer.

The Doctor frowned, "No."

Talia couldn't help it anymore, a laugh escaped her mouth and Jackie just glared at her. She just shrugged and smiled at Jackie before pulling the Doctor to the dining room table.

"Don't mind the mess." Rose said from the kitchen, "Do you want coffee?"

Talia sat down on one of the chair as the Doctor continued to look around.

"Might as well, thanks. Just milk."

"We should go to the police. Seriously. All three of us."

Talia frowned and looked to the Doctor to see that he wasn't even paying attention, he was looking at Jackies magazine that she left on the table. Rose was clanging cups in the kitchen still not noticing that the Doctor wasn't paying attention.

"That won't last, he's gay and she's an alien." He said while flipping through it.

"I'm not blaming you, even if it was just some sort of joke that went wrong."

So Rose didn't truly believe that it wasn't a prank, not that Talia blamed her. It was pretty far fetched to think that the dummies that attacked them were some kind of living plastic.

The Doctor then picked up a book and flipped through it. "Hmm. Sad ending."

 _He is a very fast reader_ , Talia thought. She looked at the Doctor to see that he wasn't even paying attention to what Rose was saying. They were both talking, not listening to one another. _I wish I had some popcorn_.

"They said on the news they'd found a body."

He picked up some of the mail, "Hm, Rose Tyler."

"It's not polite to go through someone's mail." Talia said while watching him curiously.

He ignored her and then caught site of the mirror that was hanging on their wall. He tilted his head as he looked at his reflection, looking as if he is just seeing it for the first time.

"Ah, could've been worse. Look at the ears."

His comment confused her, did he not know what his own reflection looked like?

"All the same, he was nice. Nice bloke."

Talia roll her eyes and propped her head on her hands as the Doctor picks up a deck of cards and tries to shuffle them.

"Luck be a lady."

"Anyway, if we are going to go to the police, Talia and I want to know what we're saying. I want you to explain everything."

Talia laughs as the deck of cards goes flying and the Doctor just grins at her and then shrugs. "Maybe not."

The Doctor and Talia both look around as we hear something moving behind the couch.

"What's that, then? You got a cat?" He asked as he moves towards it.

"No." Rose and Talia answered at the same time. Rose continues talking as Talia stands up and walks towards the Doctor, "We did have, but now they're just strays. They come in off the estate."

Talia jumps with a gasp as the dummy arm flies up and wraps itself around the Doctors neck. She runs up to him and wrap her arms around the dummy arm, trying to pull it off of the Doctor. She hears Rose still talking in the background and rolls her eyes.

"Rose, a little help please!"

"What is it?" She asked and walks into the living room just as the Doctor and Talia managed o detached the arm.

Unfortunately, it managed to freeze while in mid air and attack a new target: Rose.

Talia jumped forward and once again start pulling at the arm, harder this time, trying to get it away from her blonde friend. The Doctor came to help and with the both of them pulling at it they managed to detach it from Roses face. He whips out his mechanical stick and jabs it into the arm, immediately it stops moving.

"It's all right, I've stopped it." The Doctor said smiling, and slightly breathless. "There you go, you see? Armless."

"Do you think?" Rose says as she hits him with it. Talia looked her over to make sure she was okay before looking at the Doctor. He said a quick 'Ow' and then grabbed the arm and walked out the door.

"Rose! He's leaving!"

Rose grabs her arm and pulled her out of the door to catch up with the Doctor who was jogging down the stairs.

"Hold on a minute. You can't just go swanning off." She said once they caught up to him.

"Yes I can. Here I am. This is me, swanning off. See you." He replied, not even stopping his descent.

"But that arm was moving. It tried to kill me."

"Ten out of ten for observation."

"You can't just walk away. That's not fair. You've got to tell us what's going on."

"No, I don't."

"You should explain at least a little. This is the second time Rose and I have ran into you." Talia added.

"All right, then. I'll go to the police. I'll tell everyone. You said, if I did that, I'd get people killed. So, your choice. Tell me, or I'll start talking."

Talia rolled her eyes, She knew Rose wouldn't endanger peoples lives just to get some answers. But she has always been the one who took charge out of the two of them, so Talia usually let Rose ask the questions.

"Is that supposed to sound tough?"

"Sort of."

He just smiled at Rose, "Doesn't work."

"Who are you?" Rose and Talia asked. Though Talias was more out of curious fascination.

"Told you both. The Doctor."

"Yeah, but Doctor what?"

"Just the Doctor."

Rose was getting annoyed, but Talia thought he was interesting. "The Doctor."

"Hello!" He said with a wave and a large smile. Talia laughed but Rose just sighed and ran her hand through her hair.

"Is that supposed to sound impressive?"

"Sort of." He replied.

"Kind of was." Talia said, receiving a look from Rose and a grin from the Doctor.

"Come on, then. You can tell us. I've seen enough, we've both seen enough. Are you the police?"

"He's definitely not, Rose."

"No, I was just passing through. I'm a long way from home."

"But what have we done wrong?" Rose asked.

"How come those plastic things keep coming after Rose?" Talia asked.

"Oh, suddenly the entire world revolves around Rose." Talia frowned and was about to comment when he continued, "You were just an accident. You both got in the way, that's all."

"Got in the way?" "It tried to kill me." Talia and Rose said at the same time.

"It was after me, not you two. Last night, in the shop, I was there, you both blundered in, almost ruined the whole thing. This morning, I was tracking it down, it was tracking me down. The only reason it fixed on you is 'cause you've met me."

The girls exchanged a look before Rose said, "So what you're saying is, the entire world revolves around you."

"Sort of, yeah." He still had that ridiculously cute grin on his face as he said it. Talia froze, _No! Bad Talia! The random man you have met only twice is not cute!_

"You're full of it." Rose said as they continued to walk. Talia ran to catch up to them to hear Rose say, "What, you're on your own?"

"Well, who else is there? I mean, you lot, all you do is eat chips, go to bed, and watch telly, while all the time, underneath you, there's a war going on."

"Okay. Start from the beginning. I mean, if we're going to go with the living plastic, and I don't even believe that, but if we do, how did you kill it?"

It was a good question, even though Rose didn't believe the plastic was alive. _Maybe I should start carrying a taser,_ Talia thought.

"The thing controlling it projects life into the arm. I cut off the signal, dead."

"So that's radio control?" Rose asked while looking at the arm. Talia looked at her and then at the ground. If there are more of these things then they need to be stopped.

"Thought control. Are you all right?"

Talia looked up at the Doctor and gave a smile as Rose looks at her before nodding. "Yeah. So, who's controlling it, then?"

"Long story."

"But what's it all for? I mean, shop window dummies, what's that about? Is someone trying to take over Britain's shops?" Talia asked, getting both the Doctor and Rose to laugh with her.

After a moment the Doctor spoke again, "No."

"No." Rose and Talia said together.

"It's not a price war. They want to overthrow the human race and destroy you. Do you believe me?"

"No." Rose answered at the same time Talia said, "Yes."

"Really? You believe that there is something else out there? Beyond the stars?" The Doctor asked while looking at Talia.

She shrugged, "Always have, though I haven't been able to get Rose to believe me."

He looks to Rose and points at her, "But you're still listening."

Rose rolled her eyes, "Really, though, Doctor. Tell me, who are you?"

"Do you know like we were saying about the Earth revolving? It's like when you were a kid. The first time they tell you the world's turning and you just can't quite believe it because everything looks like it's standing still. I can feel it. The turn of the Earth. The ground beneath our feet is spinning at a thousand miles an hour, and the entire planet is hurtling round the sun at sixty seven thousand miles an hour, and I can feel it. We're falling through space, you. Talia and me, clinging to the skin of this tiny little world, and if we let go. That's who I am. Now, forget me, Rose Tyler, Talia. Go home."

Talia watched with a sigh as he walked across the street to a blue police box. She turned around to see Rose waiting for her with a small smile. Talia walked up to her and smiled, then they began our walk back. Only stopping once to turn around curiously when a whirring noise echoed around them.

0o0o0o0o0

Instead of going back to Powell Estates like Talia thought they were going to, Rose insisted that they go to Mickeys. Talia had hoped that Rose was going to talk to him, but instead she told her they were going to use his computer to see if they could find anything on the man who calls himself the Doctor.

Rose knocked on the door once they were there while Talia leaned up against the wall.

"Hey, hey, here's my woman. Kit off!" Mickey said with a grin as he opened up the door.

"Oi! That's practically my sister you're talking to! I don't want to hear that kind of thing!" Talia groaned as she walked through the door.

Mickey only shrugged and gave her a hug and then shared a kiss with Rose.

"You two want coffee?

Rose nodded, "Yeah, only if you wash the mug. And I don't mean rinse, I mean wash. Can I use your computer?"

"Yeah. Any excuse to get in the bedroom. Don't read my emails!"

Talia glared at him and smacked his arm with a blush on her face. "Ow! Lia, I was joking!"

"Yeah right!" She grumbled as she walked into his messy bedroom.

Rose instantly started up Mickeys computer and typed 'Doctor' into the search bar. When they found nothing Talia grabbed the keyboard and typed in 'Doctor Living Plastic'. But there were still no results. She sighed and leaned back in her chair before a smile bloomed across her face.

"There was a blue police box he was walking to!"

"You're a genius, Lia!"

She blushed as Rose typed in 'Doctor Blue Box'. They both shared a look as they saw the top link.

 **'Doctor Who? Do you know this man?'**

They didn't want to get their hopes up, but as soon as they saw the picture that was attached Talia knew they had found the right source. Rose emailed him immediately and arranged a meeting at his house as soon as possible.

Talia jumped out of her seat and walked to Mickey who was just finishing making Coffee. "We need to borrow your car." She said while looking for his keys.

"Why do you need to borrow my car?"

"We're going to meet a man who may know something about this man that Talia and I met yesterday." Rose said as she walked out of his bedroom.

Mickey frowned and sat the cups of coffee down, "What man? I'm not letting you take my car."

Talia groaned, "Please Mickey!"

"I'll just take you," Talia rolled her eyes as he seemed to pull his keys out of nowhere and looked at Rose as Mickey left to go get a jacket.

"Is it safe to let him come with us? What if the plastic comes after us again and attacks him because he is with is?"

"Nothing will happen to him Lia." Rose replied as she walked to the front door.

Talia shrugged and smiled, "You never know. A trash bin might eat him."

Rose laughed and walked to Mickeys small VW beetle, "A trash bin will not eat him."

Rose opened the passenger and let Talia climb into the back. Rose was climbing into passengers seat when Mickey opened the door and got in, starting the car.

"Okay then, where am I taking you?"

They drove in silence and Talia leaned her head against the seat. She couldn't believe that they were driving to a random mans house to find out more information on a man that had saved then twice. A mysterious man who said the word 'human' as if he wasn't one.

"We're here," Rose said while looking at the house that may hold the answers they wanted.

Mickey made to open his door when Rose stopped him, "You're not coming in. He's safe. He's got a wife and kids."

Rose got out of the car and walked to the front door as Talia climbed out from the back. She shot Mickey an amused look as he said, "Yeah, who told you that? He did. That's exactly what an internet lunatic murderer would say."

"I think it'll be okay." She said, patting his shoulder before she got out, "We'll be out in no time. Just stay here for a bit."

She walked up the small patch to the front door, where Rose was waiting for her, and knocked.

A boy about eleven years old opened the door, "Hello."

"Hello, we've come to see Clive? We've been emailing." Rose says with a small smile.

The boy rolled his eyes and then yelled back into the house, "Dad! It's some of your nutters!"

Talia frowned, "Oi! We are not nutters!"

But she was ignored by the boy and only got a small laugh from Rose as the boy walked back into the house and a heavier man walked to the door.

"Oh, sorry. Hello. You must be Talia and Rose. I'm Clive, obviously." The man says as he shakes both of their hands.

"I'd better tell you now. My boyfriend's waiting in the car, just in case you're going to kill us."

"No, good point. No murders."

Talia smiled at Clive, "Just wave at him. He'll get over it."

Clive waved but was cut off from saying anything when a females voice came from upstairs.

"Who is it?"

Clive ushered them into the house, and with one more wave at Mickey, Talia walked in and followed Rose through the house to the back. "Oh, it's something to do with the Doctor. They've been reading the website. Please, come through. I'm in the shed."

Talia look around in awe once they entered Clive's shed. There were pictures and notes everywhere, most of them of the Doctor that Talia and Rose had met.

Clive walked in and immediately began talking, "A lot of this stuff's quite sensitive. I couldn't just send it to you. People might intercept it, if you know what I mean. If you dig deep enough and keep a lively mind, this Doctor keeps cropping up all over the place. Political diaries, conspiracy theories, even ghost stories. No first name, no last name, just the Doctor. Always The Doctor. And the title seems to have been passed down from father to son. It appears to be an inheritance. That's your Doctor there, isn't it?"

He held up a black and white picture and Talia found herself nodding as Rose answered, "Yeah."

Clive nodded and pulled out another picture. "I tracked it down to the Washington public archive just last year. The online photo's enhanced, but if we look at the original"

Talia felt shock course through her as she looked at the original picture. She clearly saw the Doctor, but what shocked her was who was also in the black and white photograph. The United States President Kennedy and his cortege driving down a street in Dallas.

"November the 22nd, 1963. The assassination of President Kennedy. You see?"

"Amazing," Talia whispered.

Rose shook her head, "It must be his father."

He dug through another pile of papers and hands Talia a photo of a family. Four small children with their parents, and standing beside them was none other than the Doctor. "Going further back. April 1912. This is a photo of the Daniels family of Southampton, and friend. This was taken the day before they were due to sail off for the New World on the Titanic, and for some unknown reason, they cancelled the trip and survived. And here we are. 1883. Another Doctor."

Clive holds up an old sketch of the Doctor "And look, the same lineage. It's identical. This one washed up on the coast of Sumatra on the very day Krakatoa exploded. The Doctor is a legend woven throughout history. When disaster comes, he's there. He brings the storm in his wake and he has one constant companion."

They waited in silence until Rose whispered, "Who's that?"

"Death."

Talia swallowed hard and shared a spooked looked with Rose.

Clive sighs and wipes his face, "If the Doctor's back, if both of you have seen him, Rose, Talia, then one thing's for certain. We're all in danger. If he's singled you two out, if the Doctor's making house calls, then God help you. "

"But who is he? Who do you think he is?" Talia asked him, thinking it was a possibility that the Doctor wasn't human.

Clive confirmed her thoughts, "I think he's the same man. I think he's immortal. I think he's an alien from another world."

"An alien? Do you really believe that it could be possible? Life on other planets?" She asked excitedly.

Clive nodded, "Oh yes, I think that they walk among us. Hiding, and that the Doctor is here to protect us as best as he can."

She smiled widely and shook his hand, "Thank you so much for your help, Clive. We really appreciate it."

"Any time," He said with a smile. He walked them back through the house and they were waving goodbye when he stopped them. "Be safe you two."

Talia and Rose smiled kindly at him and nodded. They quickly walked back to the car and climb in.

"All right, he's a nutter. Off his head. Complete online conspiracy freak. You win! What are we going to do tonight? I fancy a pizza." Rose says in one breath.

Talia leaned forward and lightly smacked her arm, "He was not a nutter! I completely believe him and you should too!"

Rose rolled her eyes, "You have always believed in the strange things that happen in the world. That's just what makes you the amazing person you are, but that man, was a nutter. So pizza?"

Mickey smiled a manic grin "Pizza! P-p-p-pizza!"

"Or Chinese." Talia put in, looking at Mickey, he seem a bit, shinier?

"Pizza!" He said again

"Pizza it is," She and Rose said together.

Talia spent the entire drive watching Mickey act strangely and once they were seated at the pizza restaurant the lights seemed to shine off of his forehead. _Was he waxing his forehead in the car or something?_

Rose seemed to not notice that something was strange with Mickey and started rambling as soon as they were seated. "Do you think I should try the hospital? Suki said they had jobs going in the canteen. Is that it then, dishing out chips. I could do A Levels. I don't know. It's all Jimmy Stone's fault. I only left school because of him. Look where he ended up. What do you two think?"

Talia frowned at the mention of Roses ex Jimmy Stone and was about to comment when Mickey cut her off. "So, where did you meet this Doctor?"

Talias frown only deepens when she started searching her memory, she didn't recall either her or Rose mentioning that the man we met was called the doctor. Unless he checked what we were searching for on his computer before they left his flat.

"I'm sorry, wasn't I talking about me for a second?"

"Because I reckon it started back at the shop, am I right? Was he something to do with that?" Mickey wasn't stopping his questions.

"No." Talia said to him, "It was just Rose and I there."

"Come on Talia, Rose, you can trust me." Mickey said with a weird smile.

"Sort of." Rose caved.

Talia spun her head and looked at Rose in shock, "Rose!"

"It's Mickey, Talia! I'm not going to lie to him."

Still, something was off about him. Even though Mickey was dating Rose, he had never ignored Talia when they were all together.

"What was he doing there?" He asked once Rose admitted the Doctor was there.

"I'm not going on about it, Mickey. Really, I'm not, because, I know it sounds daft, but I don't think it's safe. I think he's dangerous."

"But you can trust me, sweetheart. Babe, sugar, babe, sugar. You can tell me anything. Tell me about the Doctor and what he's planning, and I can help you, Rose. Because that's all I really want to do, sweetheart, babe, babe, sugar, sweetheart."

Talia reached under the table and grabbed Roses arm, now she knew something was wrong. Mickey was definitely not behaving like himself.

Rose looked at Talia for a moment before looking back at Mickey worriedly, "What're you doing that for?"

"Your champagne." A waiter says. Talia looked up to tell him that they didn't order champagne when she saw who it was.

"We didn't order any champagne." Mickey said without looking away from Rose. "Where's the Doctor?"

"Madam, your champagne." He said to Rose. Talia thought Rose would have looked over, even after Talia squeezed her arm, but Rose still stared at Mickey.

"It's not ours. Mickey, what is it? What's wrong?"

"Rose," Talia said, squeezing her arm harder.

"I need to find out how much you know, so where is he?" Mickey asked again, commanding Roses attention.

"Doesn't anybody want this champagne?" The Doctor asked, trying to get Rose and Mickeys attention.

"I could use some right now," Talia grumbled.

Mickey seemed to finally have enough, "Look, we didn't order it." He finally looked up and saw the Doctor was standing with them. He grinned, "Ah. Gotcha."

"I actually think that maybe the Doctor could say 'Gotcha' instead of you Mr. Oblivious." Talia said as she watched the Doctor begin to shake the champagne bottle.

"Don't mind me. I'm just toasting the happy couple. Oh, and their third wheel. On the house!"

"Hey!" Talia yelled at his comment. She was no third wheel. Well, maybe. But they never usually made it weird like this.

She was cut off saying anything else by the Doctor releasing the cork which flew straight into Mickeys forehead and disappeared. Talia looked on in shock as Mickey just tilted his head for a few moments and then spit the cork out of his mouth.

"Oh my god." She whisper

"Anyway." Mickey holds up his hand and it transforms into a chopper.

"Rose!" Talia pulled Roses hand to get her away from the table. Rose stumbles a bit but Talia straightened her out just as the Not-Mickey brings his arm down and destroys the table we were just at.

The Doctor runs up to the Not-Mickey and places his hands on his head. They watched in shock as he yanked the Not-Mickeys head off and the customers began screaming and running away.

Talia jumped as the head continued to talk, "Don't think that's going to stop me."

Not-Mickeys body stands up and starts swinging his arm, trying to hit someone. She pulled Rose over to a wall where she saw a fire alarm, she let go of Rose and pulled the lever down

"Everyone out! Out now! Get out! Get out! Get out!" Rose yells as she sees what Talia is doing.

"Run people! Hurry!" Talia yelled with her.

She turned to the doors of the kitchen and begin to run towards it, Rose following closely behind. Adrenaline was once again surging through her body as thye ran away from the Not-Mickey who was following them.

The Doctor pulls them out the back exit and shuts the door, sealing it shut, before Not-Mickey reaches them.

Rose runs to the locked gates, right past the strange blue police box Talia recognized from earlier.

Rose not noticing the police box yells for the Doctor, "Open the gate! Use that tube thing. Come on!"

"Sonic screwdriver." He says calmly while holding the head of the Not-Mickey.

"Use it!" Rose yells back, not seeing him walk to his blue box.

Talia watched him curiously as he turns and smiles at her and then unlocks the box.

"Nah. Tell you what, let's go in here."

Talia jumped as the Not-Mickey begins to break through the door. "Rose! Come on!" She ran towards the box and follow the Doctor inside and then gasped in awe. "No way." She said. "Rose, you have to see this!" She yelled out.

She heard Rose yelling to the Doctor but she ignored her as she looked at her surroundings. Talia saw Rose run into the box, run back out and then come back in a moment later, shutting the door behind her.

The box, wasn't a box, and even though it looked small on the outside, it was nothing compared to what it looked like inside. The room was mostly open with what looked like a circular console. There were panels lining the floor and brass hexagons lining the wall in the large room. But the room was huge with a few hallways leading towards some doors.

"It's going to follow us!" Rose said breathlessly.

"The assembled hoards of Genghis Khan couldn't get through that door, and believe me, they've tried. Now, shut up a minute." He seemed a bit smug about the Genghis Khan part.

The Doctor pulled out his mechanical - no, sonic screwdriver out of his pocket and began circling the console. "You see, the arm was too simple, but the head's perfect. I can use it to trace the signal back to the original source. Right. Where do you want to start?" He asked after placing the Not-Mickey head on the console and connecting it to some cables.

"I'm in a spaceship!" Talia breathed out as Rose said, "Er, the inside's bigger than the outside?"

"Yes."

"It's alien."

"Spaceships are alien Rose." Talia said while walking further into the room.

The Doctor smiled, "Yeah."

"Are you alien?" Rose asked quietly. Talia spun to face the Doctor as she awaited his answer.

"Yes. Is that all right?"

"Of course it is!" Talia said happily, cutting Rose off.

The Doctor smiled and waved his hands around, "It's called the Tardis, this thing. S. That's Time And Relative Dimension In Space. "

Rose looked around for a moment before looking at Talia and bursting into tears. She pushed aside her excitement for a moment and ran to Rose and pulled her into a hug. "It's okay Rose, just let it out."

"That's okay. Culture shock. Happens to the best of us. Though you, Talia, are taking this much better than I expected."

Talia smiled, "I've believed in this stuff since before I can remember."

Roses next question broke through Talias happiness, "Did they kill him? Mickey? Did they kill Mickey? Is he dead?"

Talia looked wide eyed to the Doctor, praying that Mickey was okay. The thought that Mickey could be hurt, or worse, hadn't even crossed her mind.

"Oh. I didn't think of that."

Talia frowned at his reply, he had just detached a dummies head and he hadn't wondered about the human it probably cloned it from?

Rose stood up straight with a frown and moved towards him, "He's my boyfriend. You pulled off his head. They copied him and you didn't even think? And now you're just going to let him melt?"

"Melt?" The Doctor spun around and they all looked at the console and Talia grimaced once she saw that the head was indeed melting on the cables.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no!" He ran around the console and pushed some buttons then pulled a few levers.

"What're you doing?" Rose yelled as they watched him talking and a whirring noise started.

"Following the signal. It's fading. Wait a minute, I've got it. No, no, no, no, no, no, no! Almost there. Almost there. Here we go!"

The room started to shake and Talia grabbed onto the wall to stop herself from falling over, only to feel as if she had been zapped by the railing. She gasped and jerked her hand away and looked at Rose to see if she had the same reaction, but she didn't. Rose was just looking at the Doctor, also trying to stay standing.

And then the whirring stopped and the Doctor ran towards the door.

"You can't go out there. It's not safe." Rose yelled after him.

Talia put the wall zapping her in the back of her mind and ran out after the Doctor, only to see that they were now next to the RAF monument and the Thames which was not there before.

"No way," Talia breathed out excitedly. They had moved locations, _I had just traveled in a spaceship! Though it wasn't very far I had at least something to mark off of my bucket list._

"I lost the signal, I got so close." The Doctor said as he looked around.

Talia looked back and watched as Rose stepped out of the Tardis, though Rose still wasn't as excited as Talia was. "We've moved. Does it fly?"

The Doctor looked out onto the Thames,"Disappears there and reappears here. You wouldn't understand."

"If we're somewhere else, what about that headless thing? It's still on the loose."

"It melted with the head. Are you going to witter on all night? Try to be more like Talia, she's quiet."

Talia blushed and looked away as Rose glared at the Doctor and continued talking, "I'll have to tell his mother. Mickey. I'll have to tell his mother he's dead, and you just went and forgot him, again! You were right, you are alien."

"Look, if I did forget some kid called Mickey-"

Talia quickly cut him off, "Yeah, he's not a kid. He's my best mate!"

"-It's because I'm trying to save the life of every stupid ape blundering on top of this planet, all right?"

Talia walked over to Rose with a sad smile, "All right." Talia said. Hopefully Mickey wasn't hurt, but the Doctor was right. They couldn't expect him to care more about one human being if he is trying to save the whole of Earth. _Though Rose may kill me if I actually admitted that out loud. Though I really want to say something about that 'stupid ape' comment._

"Yes, it is!"

They all just stared at each other before Rose got curious, "If you are an alien, how comes you sound like you're from the North?"

Talia laugh and looked at the Doctor, "Surely more than just planet Earth has a North."

"Right, lots of planets have a north."

"What's a police public call box?" Rose asked, looking back at the Tardis.

Talia was curious as to why a spaceship looked like a '50s police box.

"It's a telephone box from the 1950s. It's a disguise." He patted the Tardis with a small smile.

"It's great!" Talia said happily.

Rose rolled her eyes at Talia and she just gave Rose a sweet smile. "Okay. And this, this living plastic. What's it got against us?"

"Yeah, I mean, surely humans have never tried to harm them before." Rose said, walking up to the Doctor.

Talia moved to stand beside Rose as the Doctor looked between the two of them. "Nothing. It loves you. You've got such a good planet. Lots of smoke and oil, plenty of toxins and dioxins in the air, perfect. Just what the Nestene Consciousness needs. It's food stock was destroyed in the war, all its protein plants rotted, so Earth, dinner!"

"They're going to destroy the Earth for food?" Talia said, appalled.

"Every being in the universe tries to find ways to survive. The Nestene Consciousness has found theirs."

"Well then, is there a way to stop it?" Talia asked, not that she wanted to kill something, human or not, but if it was going to try to take over the Earth then it needed to be stopped. She knew there were billions of people that could die if they didn't.

The Doctor donned a large smile and reached into his pocket, pulling out a vial of dark blue liquid.

"Anti-plastic." He said, showing both Talia and Rose.

"Anti-plastic." Rose repeated him.

"Anti-plastic. But first I've got to find it. How can you hide something that big in a city this small?"

 _It seems anti-plastic is our word of the day!_ Talia waved her hand to get the Doctors attention, "Hide what?"

"The transmitter. The Consciousness is controlling every single piece of plastic, so it needs a transmitter to boost the signal."

"What's it look like?" Rose asked.

Talia folded her arms across her chest, wishing she had brought a bigger jacket, it was getting chilly out.

"Like a transmitter. Round and massive, slap bang in the middle of London." He said, walking around the Tardis. He stops, his back facing the London Eye. "A huge circular metal structure like a dish, like a wheel."

Talia turned and saw what was behind the Doctor, and turned to tell the Doctor, but he was still talking. She looked at Rose and pointed to the London Eye. Rose just smiled and rolled her eyes staring out over the Thames.

"Radial. Close to where we're standing. Must be completely invisible. What? What?"

The Doctor seemed to finally notice that neither one of them were looking at him. He looked around to try and see what they were looking at. After a minute Talia just laughed and pointed.

"What? What is it? What?" He kept turning around, seeing the London Eye but not truly seeing it.

He looked back and forth a few more moments before he paused, "Oh. Fantastic!" He said once he caught on.

He grabbed both of their hands and started to run. They ran across Westminster Bridge and didn't stop until they were almost directly underneath the London eye.

"Think of it, plastic all over the world, every artificial thing waiting to come alive. The shop window dummies, the phones, the wires, the cables." The Doctor said as he looked around.

"The breast implants." Rose said with a laugh. Talia looked at her in shock for a moment before sharing a small laugh with her.

The Doctor continued looking around. "Still, we've found the transmitter. The Consciousness must be somewhere underneath."

Rose and Talia walked away from the Doctor, looking for any sign of where the Nestene Consciousness could be.

Talia turned to see Rose leaning over the parapet and then Rose looks back to the Doctor, "What about down here?"

The Doctor and Talia ran over to see where Rose was pointing, at the bottom of some stone stairs there was a large manhole.

"Looks good to me." He shrugged while jogging to reach the stairs with Talia following closely behind and Rose trailing after.

Once they reached the manhole, Talia slightly out of breath from all the running, the Doctor grabbed the hatch and quicly opens it up, red light and steam billowing up once he did.

They climbed down a ladder to see chains ganging from the ceiling and pipes around them. The Doctor paused for a moment before walking through a door in front of them and then found more stairs to climb down before the he pulled Talia and Rose to a stop, pointing to a multi-level chamber. At the bottom was a large hole, in it was something that reminded Talia of moving lava, though it had a mind of its own.

The Doctor points to it, "The Nestene Consciousness. That's it, inside the vat. A living plastic creature."

Rose frowns at it and then looks back at the Doctor. "Well, then. Tip in your anti-plastic and let's go."

"Rose! It may be alien but it is still a living being! You just just want to kill it and not give it a chance! That's murder!"

"It's killed Mickey, Talia!"

"That may be so, but if you kill it without a second thought then that would make us no better than it!"

The Doctor looked a Talia with a different smile than before, "I'm not here to kill it. I've got to give it a chance."

"Thank God," Talia said quietly as the Doctor walked away from them to talk to the moving plastic lava being.

"I seek audience with the Nestene Consciousness under peaceful contract according to convention 15 of the Shadow Proclamation." He said loudly, gaining the attention of the being.

The Nestene Consciousness began to move around making noises.

"Thank you. If I might have permission to approach?"

Talia was pulled away from watching the Doctor as Rose pulls her arm and point down, "Oh, God! Mickey, it's me, Rose! And Talia is here too! It's okay. It's all right. "

"That thing down there, the liquid. Rose, it can talk!"

Talia climbs down the stairs as quickly as she can to get to her friend. As soon as she was next to Mickey, she pulled him into a hug, just a few seconds later feeling Rose join in.

"You're stinking." Rose said to Mickey before turning to the Doctor who had walked up behind them, "Doctor, they kept him alive."

"Yeah, that was always a possibility. Keep him alive to maintain the copy." He said watching the three of them hugging before turning away.

"You could have told us that he was alive instead of making us worry," Talia said to him.

"Can we keep the domestics outside, thank you?"

"That was too domestic for you?," Talia asked the Doctor but he ignored her and walked down another level.

"Am I addressing the Consciousness? Thank you. If I might observe, you infiltrated this civilization by means of warp shunt technology. So, may I suggest, with the greatest respect, that you shunt off?"

Talia withheld a laugh, _asking it to shunt off? Won't that just possibly upset it?_

She looks on as a face emerges from the vat and begins to make noises again.

"Oh, don't give me that. It's an invasion, plain and simple. Don't talk about constitutional rights. I am talking! This planet is just starting. These stupid little people have only just learnt how to walk, but they're capable of so much more. I'm asking you on their behalf. Please, just go."

Rose and Talia both noticed the dummies approaching the Doctor from behind, "Doctor! Behind you!"

He didn't turn around fast enough and the two male dummies grabbed a hold of him, one of them searching his pockets. The dummy pulled out the vial of anti-plastic and the Doctor looked worriedly to the vat.

"That was just insurance. I wasn't going to use it. I was not attacking you. I'm here to help. I'm not your enemy. I swear, I'm not. What do you mean?"

Talia moves closer to the Doctor and the dummies, trying to form a plan to help him. She turned to check on Rose and Mickey to see Rose standing behind her watching the Doctor and Mickey cowering down, hiding.

Talia hears Rose gasp and turns back around to see two door sliding open with a very familiar police call box behind them.

"No. Oh, no. Honestly, no." The Doctor said worriedly, "Yes, that's my ship. That's not true. I should know, I was there. I fought in the war. It wasn't my fault. I couldn't save your world! I couldn't save any of them!"

"What's it doing?!" Rose asked as the Nestene Consciousness began to move around more, seeming aggravated.

"It's the Tardis! The Nestene's identified its superior technology. It's terrified. It's going to the final phase. It's starting the invasion! Get out, Rose! Talia! Just leg it now!"

"We are not leaving without you Doctor!" Talia yelled to him.

The plastic roared out and Talia hears Rose on the phone, "Mum?"

 _Hopefully she could warn Jackie in time_ , Talia looked around to see if she could find something to help the Doctor, but there were only chains hanging from the ceiling attached to the walls.

She groaned and ran her hands down her face as bolts of electric energy began to shoot up from the vat and Rose continued to try and warn Jackie to go home.

"It's the activation signal. It's transmitting!"

"It's the end of the world." Rose mutters as she hangs up her cell.

Talia looked wide eyed as more energy began to shoot up and the plastic got more agitated.

"Get out, Rose! Talia! Just get out! Run!"

Talia just shook her head, unwilling to leave as Rose just looks around and says, "The stairs have gone."

"No!" Talia yells as the Autons begin to try and push the Doctor into the vat. But the stairs were gone so she couldn't get to him without jumping a ten foot drop, which she could but she would more likely be more of a hindrance then help if she jumped. Rose and Mickey were trying to get into the Tardis with no luck.

"I haven't got the key!"

"We're going to die!" Mickey whimpers.

"No, we are not going to die here Mickey Smith!" Talia yells to him.

She looks around in a panic and breathe out a small sigh of relief when she sees an ax in a glass box hanging on the wall. She turns her back towards the box and throw her elbow into the glass as hard as she can, breaking it, but getting glass shards in her elbow in the process.

"Rose! I need your help!"

Rose had some trouble getting away from the terrified Mickey, him saying something Talia couldn't hear, but Rose was soon running over to Talia.

"Do you remember when we were younger and when you won your gymnastic medal you carried it around for months just telling anyone who would listen about it?"

"Yeah, what does that have to do with what we are dealing with right now?

Talia swung the ax as hard as she could into the chains on the wall, detaching it in a few swings. She grabbed the chain and held it out to Rose. "Let's see if you still got it."

Rose smiled, grabbed the chain and walked to the side of the catwalk, determined, "I've got no A Levels, no job, no future." Talia runs back over to Mickey and helps him up. "But I tell you what I have got. Jericho Street Junior School under 7s gymnastic team. I've got the bronze!"

Talia watched, biting her lip as Rose holds onto the chain tightly and then takes a jump from the catwalk. She swings, knocking the Auton that had the anti-plastic held tightly in his hand as the Doctor over powered the other Auton and both dummies fall into the vat. The Nestene begins to scream and turn blue as the anti-plastic is absorbed into its body.

"Rose!" The Doctor catches Rose as she swings back his way and helps her down from the chain.

The ground shook as small explosions began shaking the ground.

"Now we're in trouble." The Doctor said as he and Rose tried to regain their balance after an explosion goes off near them.

"We need to go! It's not safe for us here anymore!" Talia yells down to the Doctor and Rose. They both nod and soon join Talia and Mickey in front of the Tardis.

The Doctor quickly unlocks the doors and they all rush inside. He runs to the console and starts pressing buttons and the whirring starts. They shook for a moment before they land and Mickey was out of the door faster than Talia had ever seen him move before, Rose following after him pulling out her phone as she walked out.

Talia turned to look at the Doctor who smiled at her. She smiled back, "Thank you. You saved the world and no one besides me, Mickey and Rose will ever know."

"All in a days work," He said with a grin.

Talia shook her head with a smile and walked out of the door.

"Nestene Consciousness? Easy."

"You were useless in there. You'd be dead if it wasn't for me and Talia."

Talia blushed and went to deny her part when the Doctor nodded, "Yes, I would. Thank you. Right then, I'll be off, unless, er, I don't know, you and Talia could come with me. This box isn't just a London hopper, you know. It goes anywhere in the universe free of charge."

"Don't. He's an alien. He's a thing." Mickey almost yelled, grabbing a hold of Rose.

"Mickey!" Talia yelled, disappointed with how he was acting to the man who saved all of their lives.

"He's not invited," He said pointing to Mickey. "What do you think? You two could stay here, fill your life with work and food and sleep, or you could go anywhere.

"Is it always this dangerous?" Rose asked.

Talia looked to Rose in hope, if Rose decided to go then Talia would to. Talia couldn't leave behind what family she had left.

"Yeah." The Doctor said.

"Yeah, I can't. I've er, I've got to go and find my mum and someone's got to look after this stupid lump, so."

Talias shoulders slumped as the Doctor looked at her, "I'm sorry Doctor, but I can't. Rose is my family and I just can't just leave her."

"Okay. See you around." Talia was shocked when not even a minute later the whirring noise began and the Tardis, with the Doctor inside, was gone.

"You could have gone, you know?" Rose said while grabbing Talias arm.

Talia shook my head with a wince, pulling her injured arm out of Roses hold, "No I couldn't. Like I said, you're my family. Where you go, I go.

Rose sighed, "Come on, let's go. Come on. Come on. And we'll fix up your arm once we're home, Talia." Rose grabbed Mickey and began to walk away.

Talia looked back at the spot the Tardis had been one more time before they all started moving towards the street, but stopped when the whirring began agian.

Rose and Talia spun around to see that the Tardis was back with the Doctor smiling from the door, "By the way, did I mention it also travels in time?"

Rose and Talia shared a look before Rose smiled and looked at Mickey, "Thanks."

"Thanks for what?" He asked, confused.

"Exactly." Rose said simply.

Rose gave him a kiss on the cheek and then grabbed Talias' hand and they ran into the Tardis together.

It was time for their adventures to begin.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is chapter two for the Talia Chronicles! I hope you enjoy this, please drop a review and let me know! If you have any suggestions for Talia or the story then let me know! There are still a few things about her that aren't set in stone, but one thing that is, is her want to protect Rose. So I hope that in this chapter or later chapters you don't think her actions are anything other than her caring for Rose like a sister.**

Chapter Two

Talia and Rose stood in the Tardis by the console, Talia bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet in excitement.

"We need to fix your elbow," said Rose suddenly.

Talia looked down at her elbow and frowned, "I completely forgot about that." She pulled a small piece of glass from one of the cuts. "It's going to scar, I scar so easily."

The Doctor walked over to them and grabbed Talia's hand, "We'll fix you up in the med bay and then we'll be on our way."

He pulled her into a sterile white room with a computer with strange symbols on it and some bigger machines behind the patient bed.

"Its nice and sterile in here."

"Has to be. Now up on the bed, this should only take a few minutes."

Talia did as the Doctor said and jumped onto the patient bed, Rose came to stand next to her and they both watched as the Doctor began rummaging through the drawers.

"Ah ha," He turned around with a small grey device and walked back to Talia, "This may sting."

He pointed the device towards her arm and both Talia and Rose watched in shock as the glass seemed to disintegrate.

"Where did the glass go?" Rose asked, pulling Talias elbow closer and giving it a look.

Talia looked to the Doctor as he put the device away and pulled out some cleaning wipes and gauze.

"It disintegrated the glass and it is now in the air around us, harmless." He pulled Talias arm out of Roses' grip and cleaned and bandaged it.

"Thank you," Talia said to the Doctor when he was finished.

"Right, of course." He turned and left the med bay, walking back to the console with Talia and Rose following behind. "Right then, Rose Tyler, Talia, you tell me. Where do you two want to go? Backwards or forwards in time. It's your choice. What's it going to be?"

Talia looked at Rose and smiled happily, "You choose."

"Forwards," She said with a nod of certainty.

"How far?" The Doctor asks as he began to push the buttons around the console and spin a few things.

"One hundred years." Rose said with a large smile.

The Tardis jerked and the Doctor smiled, "There you go. Step outside those doors, it's the twenty second century."

"You're kidding." Rose said, shocked.

"We've really traveled a hundred years?" Talia jumped and grabbed the railing, feeling a shock again but shaking it off.

"That's a bit boring, though. Do you want to go further?" He asked with a large smile.

"Fine by me." Rose said at the same time Talia let out an excited, "Yes!"

He begins to press more buttons and pump something around the console. He wasn't staying in one place as he moved around, pressing and turning all sorts of buttons. _What a workout,_ Talia thought.

He rings a bell and then points to the door, "Ten thousand years in the future. Step outside, it's the year 12005, the new Roman Empire.

"You think you're so impressive." said Rose with a grin.

"Oh he so is!" Talia said as she ran to the door, then looked back at Rose and the Doctor, "So? Shall we?"

"Where are we? What's out there?"

The Doctor walks to the Tardis doors and waits for Rose to join them before he opened the doors.

Talia cautiously stepped out and looked around, they had landed in a large wooden room with a large covered window and a set of double doors on the other side of the room.

Talia heard the whirring noise and turned to see the Doctor moving his sonic around a wall panel and then the screen over the window opened and Talia stared in shock at what was beyond it.

She walks down some steps and looks down as the slowly rotated beneath them, "It's so beautiful." Talia said softly.

"You lot, you spend all your time thinking about dying, like you're going to get killed by eggs or beef or global warming or asteroids. But you never take time to imagine the impossible, that maybe you survive. This is the year five point five slash apple slash twenty six. Five billion years in your future, and this is the day"

Talia looked to see the Doctor and Rose had joined her.

Rose was staring wide eyed at the Earth as the Doctor looked at his watch, "Hold on."

Talia backs up as the sun flares up and turns a bright red, "What's happening?" She asked.

"This is the day the Sun expands. Welcome to the end of the world."

 _"Shuttles five and six now docking. Guests are reminded that Platform One forbids the use of weapons, teleportation and religion. Earth Death is scheduled for fifteen thirty nine. Followed by drinks in the Manchester Suite."_

The Doctor turned around and walked out of the doors, into a corridor. Talia smiled at Rose and then they both ran to catch up with him.

"So, when it says guests, does that mean people?" Rose asked as she broke the since that had descended upon them.

"Depends what you mean by people." He said simply.

"I mean people. What do you mean?"

"Aliens."

"I'll get to meet another alien?" Talia asked with a smile.

"I bet that most every living being on this deck is an alien."

"What are they doing on board this spaceship? What's it all for?" Rose asked.

"It's not really a spaceship, more like an observation deck. The great and the good are gathering to watch the planet burn."

Rose looked over at Talia and then spun back to the Doctor who was using his sonic again which causes the door to open.

"What for?" Rose asked, shocked.

"Fun."

"So what aliens do for fun in the future is watch worlds burn?"

They walked into an even larger wooden room with some spread out display cases with various artifacts in them and more large windows looking out onto the Earth.

"Mind you, when I said the great and the good, what I mean is, the rich."

"But, hold on. They did this once on Newsround Extra. The sun expanding, that takes hundreds of years."

"Rose, this isn't our time anymore. We're in the future, remember?"

Rose just shook her head as the Doctor looked out onto the Earth, "Millions, but the planet's now property of the National Trust. They've been keeping it preserved. See down there? Gravity satellites holding back the sun."

"The planet looks the same as ever. I thought the continents shifted and things."

"They did, and the Trust shifted them back. That's a classic Earth. But now the money's run out, nature takes over."

"How long's it got?" Rose asked as Talia walked closer to the window.

"About half an hour and then the planet gets roasted." The Doctor said.

"Is that why we're here? I mean, is that what you do? Jump in at the last minute and save the Earth?"

"I'm not saving it. Time's up."

"But what about the people?"

"It's empty. They're all gone. No one left."

Talia looked back at Rose who looked upset, "Just me and Talia, then."

Talia turned as the doors opened and a smile spread across her face when she saw a tall blue skinned alien with golden eyes, black markings under his eyes, and wearing a gold dress suit walking towards them.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked looking between the three of them.

"Oh, that's nice, thanks." The Doctor said sarcastically.

"But how did you get in? This is a maximum hospitality zone. The guests have disembarked. They're on their way any second now." The man said, now staring at the Doctor.

The Doctor pulls out a leather wallet with a piece of paper in it and shows it to the blue alien. "That's me. I'm a guest. Look, I've got an invitation. Look. There, you see? It's fine, you see? The Doctor plus two. I'm the Doctor, this is Rose Tyler and Talia. They're my plus two. Is that all right?" The Doctor puts the wallet back in his jacket and looks to the blue alien.

"Well, obviously. Apologies, et cetera. If you're on board, we'd better start. Enjoy."

"Thank you," Talia says to him as he begins to walk away.

The blue alien walked to a podium and the Doctor turned back to Talia and Rose, "The paper's slightly psychic. It shows them whatever I want them to see. Saves a lot of time."

"Physic paper? Awesome!"

"He's blue."

Talia looked at Rose with an eyebrow raised as the Doctor said, "Yeah."

"Okay."

"Are you okay, Rose?"

"I'm fine, Lia. This was not what I was expecting is all."

We have in attendance the Doctor and Rose and Talia Tyler. Thank you. All staff to their positions."

A lot of small aliens fully clothed in black begin to appear form the sides and walked towards various positions around the room.

"Hurry, now, thank you. Quick as we can. Come along, come along. And now, might I introduce the next honored guest? Representing the Forest of Cheam, we have trees, namely, Jabe, Lute and Coffa."

A woman who looked as if she was made of bark walked through the doors when a man on either side of her who also looked as if they were made of bark.

"There will be an exchange of gifts representing peace. If you could keep the room circulating, thank you. Next, from the solicitors Jolco and Jolco, we have the Moxx of Balhoon."

Talia moved around the Doctor to see a smaller blue alien with a large head and torso riding some kind of circular hovercraft glide into the room

"And next, from Financial Family Seven, we have the Adherents of the Repeated Meme."

A group of black robed aliens walked in and off towards the side. Talia smiled and looks to Rose only to frown as she looked slightly out of place.

"The inventors of Hypo-slip Travel Systems, the brothers Hop Pyleen. Thank you."

Some reptilian like creatures dressed in fur walked in and nodded to the blue alien.

"Cal Spark Plug. Mister and Mrs Pakoo. The Ambassadors from the City State of Binding Light." The tall blue alien continued announcing the guests.

Talia came to stand beside the Doctor when she saw the tree bark aliens approaching them.

They walked directly to the Doctor and the alien announced as Jabe handed over a small piece of tree with some leaves on it in a small pot, "The Gift of Peace. I bring you a cutting of my Grandfather."

"Thank you. Yes, gifts. Er, I give you in return air from my lungs."

Rose moves closer to Talia as the Doctor breathes onto Jabe.

"How intimate," Jabe said breathlessly.

"There's more where that came from." The Doctor said with a grin as he hands Rose the tree cutting.

Talia grimaced, she did not want to see him flirt the entire time they were here. She came to meet aliens.

"I bet there is." Jabe said with a smile.

Jabe walked away with the smile still on her face.

"From the Silver Devastation, the sponsor of the main event, please welcome the Face of Boe."

"Woah," Talia said as a large glass tank rolls through the door with a large head inside of it. "That is amazing!"

The Doctor smiles as the small blue alien on the hovercraft glides over to them.

"The Moxx of Balhoon." The Doctor said with a nod.

"My felicitations on this historical happenstance. I give you the gift of bodily saliva's."

Moxx spits and Talias holds in a laugh as it hits Rose in the face.

"Thank you very much." The Doctor said, his smile still plastered on her face.

The black robed aliens were next.

"Ah! The Adherents of the Repeated Meme. I bring you air from my lungs."

The Adherents held out a small metal ball and the Doctor takes it and gives it to Talia.

"A gift of peace in all good faith." One says and then they walk away.

"And last but not least, our very special guest. Ladies and gentlemen, and trees and multiforms, consider the Earth below. In memory of this dying world, we call forth the last Human. The Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta Seventeen."

Rose and Talia quickly look at each other and then both walk away from the Doctor to get a better look at the 'last Human'.

Talia grimaces when the 'last Human' walks through the door. All that was there was a piece of skin stretched out in a rectangular frame with a face in the middle. Two men walked beside her, hidden by hospital type outfits.

"Oh, now, don't stare. I know, I know it's shocking, isn't it? I've had my chin completely taken away and look at the difference. Look how thin I am. Thin and dainty. I don't look a day over two thousand. Moisturize me. Moisturize me." The 'last Human' said.

One of the men with her held up a tank and sprayed her down with something.

"Truly, I am the last Human. My father was a Texan, my mother was from the Arctic Desert. They were born on the Earth and were the last to be buried in its soil. I have come to honor them and say goodbye. Oh, no tears, no tears. I'm sorry. But behold, I bring gifts. From Earth itself, the last remaining ostrich egg. Legend says it had a wingspan of fifty feet and blew fire from its nostrils. Or was that my third husband? Oh, no. Oh, don't laugh. I'll get laughter lines. And here, another rarity."

They egg was moved to a stand as Rose walked around Cassandra looking at her with slightly widened eyes.

A juke box was wheeled in as Rose walked back to Talia and looks at her, slightly panicked.

"According to the archives, this was called an iPod. It stores classical music from humanity's greatest composers. Play on!"

"Refreshments will now be served. Earth Death in thirty minutes."

"Rose are you okay?" Talia asked Rose, worried.

Rose shakes her head and with a panicked breath, she runs out of the room.

"Rose!" Talia yells as she follows Rose out of the door.

Talia caught up to Rose as she had stopped running and was now looking out a small window.

"oh, Rose," Talia said as she walks up to her.

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't take it much longer in there. That Cassandra doesn't even look human anymore! And we're surrounded by aliens! And you look so at home, I'm sorry for ruining this for you Talia."

Talia pulls Rose into a quick hug, "You haven't ruined anything for me. I'm just worried about you. While this is like Christmas come early for me, it is a giant shock to you. I understand, everyone handles everything differently."

"The Doctor just looks do human so it's easy to forget, but everyone else out there is alien and they look the part. I just need a minuted, Talia. I'll be fine."

"You better be," Talia said while bumping her shoulder against Roses'. "I'd hate to explain to your mum that you had a panic attack while in space five billion years in the future because you were surrounded by aliens."

Rose laughed, "You sound like a nutter when you say it like that."

Talia giggled, "My dear Rose, I have always been a nutter."

Their laughter was cut off when another alien walked around the corner, she looked to be the same race as the steward wearing overalls and a baseball cap on her head.

"Hello," Talia said with a smile.

"Sorry. Are we allowed to be in here?"

They waited fro the alien to talk, but she stayed silent for a moment before she whispered, "You have to give us permission to talk."

Talia looked at Rose who said, "Er, you have permission."

The blue she-alien smiled, "Thank you. And, no, you're not in the way. Guests are allowed anywhere."

"Great!" Talia said.

The blue she-alien walks to a wall panel and unlocks it.

"What's your name?" Rose asked her.

"Raffalo." The she-alien, Raffalo, said.

"Raffalo?"

"I like it."

"Yes, miss. And that is very kind, miss. I won't be long, I've just got to carry out some maintenance. There's a tiny little glitch in the Face of Boe's suite. There must be something blocking the system. He's not getting any hot water." Raffalo said as she looks back to the panel.

"So, you're a plumber?" Rose asked curiously.

"That's right, miss."

"They still have plumbers?"

"Obviously, Rose." Talia said jokingly.

"I hope so, else I'm out of a job."

"Where are you from?" Rose asked, moving closer to Raffalo.

"Crespallion."

"That's a planet, is it?"

"No. Crespallion's part of the Jaggit Brocade, affiliated to the Scarlet Junction, Convex fifty six. And where are you two from, miss? If you don't mind me asking."

"We don't mind, Raffalo."

"No, not at all. Er, I don't know. A long way away. We just sort of hitched a lift with this man. I didn't even think about it. I don't even know who he is. He's a complete stranger. Anyway, don't let me keep you. Good luck with it."

"Thank you, miss. And er, thank you for the permission. Not many people are that considerate."

"Okay. See you later."

Rose and Talia walk away and Talia loops her arm through Roses', "Are you regretting leaving?"

They walk into a smaller room with a window and they sit down, "No, yes, sort of? I don't know Talia, everything is just so strange."

 _"Would the owner of the blue box in private gallery fifteen please report to the Stewards office immediately. Guests are reminded that use of teleportation devices is strictly forbidden under Peace Treaty five point four slash cup slash sixteen. Thank you."_

"That'll be the Tardis," Talia said with a smile. "And if you decide you don't want to travel then you shouldn't. But think of the experiences you could have. Travel any time, any where. Oh the history you could see."

"Should the Doctor and I leave you and the Tardis alone for a bit?" Rose said with a laugh.

"She is very pretty, but not my type."

 _"Earth Death in twenty five minutes."_

Rose sighed and picked up the ball that the Adherents of the Repeated Meme gave them. "Thanks for the reminder," Rose said to the ceiling.

"Everything has to go eventually, Rose. it's life."

Rose just sighed and put the ball down, only to pick up the plant, "Hello. My name's Rose. That's a sort of plant. We might be related. I'm talking to a twig. Talia, stop me, please."

Talia smiled, "Jabe did say it was a cutting from her grandfather so who knows, it may be able to actually hear you."

"Rose, Talia, are you two in here?"

"We're in here, Doctor." Talia said.

The Doctor walked through the door and sat across from Rose and Talia, "Aye, aye. What do you think, then?"

"I love it," Talia said with a smile.

"Great. Yeah, fine. Once you get past the slightly psychic paper. They're just so alien. The aliens are so alien. You look at 'em and they're alien."

"Good thing I didn't take you two to the Deep South."

"Let's do that sometime!"

"Where are you from?" Rose asked the Doctor.

"All over the place."

"They all speak English."

"Yeah, I was curious about that. Why are they speaking English?"

"No, you just hear English. It's a gift of the Tardis. The telepathic field, gets inside your brain and translates." The Doctor said while searching their faces.

"It's inside my brain?" Rose asked, upset.

Talia tried to think of feeling a violation in her head, but nothing strange had happened besides the two shocks she had gotten.

"Well, in a good way."

"Your machine gets inside our heads. It gets inside and it changes our minds, and you didn't even ask?"

Talia frowned, she wasn't sure how she felt about the Tardis being in her head without permission. But she didn't exactly feel mad about it.

"I didn't think about it like that." He said honestly.

"No, you were too busy thinking up cheap shots about the Deep South. Who are you, then, Doctor? What are you called? What sort of alien are you?" Rose said, getting aggravated.

"I'm just the Doctor."

"Rose, if he doesn't wish to share then don't make him." Talia said to Rose softly.

Rose ignored Talia and continued to stare at the Doctor, "From what planet?"

"Well, it's not as if you'll know where it is!"

"Just stop arguing!" Talia said to the two of them.

"Where are you from?"

"What does it matter?"

Talia was getting frustrated and just let her hair down and braided it into a side ponytail as the Doctor and Rose continued on.

"Tell me who you are!" Rose yelled.

"This is who I am, right here, right now, all right? All that counts is here and now, and this is me."

"Yeah, and I'm here too because you brought me here, so just tell me."

 _"Earth Death in twenty minutes. Earth Death in twenty minutes."_

Talia looked back over to the two who seemed to have calmed down at the announcement. She walks over to the window overlooking the Earth, _you'l be gone soon..._

"All right. As my mate Shareen says, don't argue with the designated driver." Rose said, seeming calmer now.

Talia feel someone walk next to her and sees that it's the Doctor as Rose begins to walk towards them as well, pulling out her phone.

"Can't exactly call for a taxi. There's no signal. We're out of range. Just a bit." Sighed Rose.

The Doctor thinks for a second, "Tell you what. He grabs her phone and pulls out the back, and takes out the battery. "With a little bit of jiggery pokery." He pulls out a slightly different looking battery and places it inside the phone.

"Is that a technical term, jiggery pokery?" Rose said with a smile.

"Yeah, I came first in jiggery pokery. What about you?"

Talia laughed as Rose responded, "No, I failed hullabaloo."

"Oh. There you go."

He hands the phone back to Rose and she instantly walks off, talking to Jackie.

"What about you? I could do the same to your phone." The Doctor said while staring at Talia.

She shrugged, "Don't have anyone to call, my only family is here on this room with me." Talia looked over to Rose.

"No biological family? No boyfriend?" He asked, curious.

Talia sighed, "My mum and dad died a few years back and since then I've been on my own."

"Ah, you seem to be doing pretty well for yourself."

"Besides the fact that you blew up my work place," Talia said with a laugh.

"Well besides that," He grinned.

Talia was interrupted by Rose walking back over to them.

"It's Wednesday at home now." Rose said, standing next to Talia.

"Think that's amazing, you want to see the bill." The Doctor said with his grin plastered on his face.

"That was five billion years ago. So, she's dead now. Five billion years later, my mum's dead." Rose stated.

"Bundle of laughs, you are."

Talia went to hug Rose when the space station began to shake. They all held out their arms and held onto the wall to balance themselves. After a moment it stopped at Talia and Rose both looked at the Doctor.

"That's not supposed to happen." He said to them.

 _"Honored guests may be reassured that gravity pockets may cause slight turbulence, thanking you."_

Talia watches as the Doctor walks out of the room after that announcement.

"You don't think the Doctor believes it wasn't a gravity pocket, do you?"

Talia looks at Rose, "It's a possibility."

"Do you think what Clive said is true? Where the Doctor goes, death follows."

"Well then, he comes to prevent more deaths. Its not where the Doctor goes, death follows, it seems more like where death goes, the Doctor follows to prevent any more. Now come on, He's gone and left us."

They manage to catch up to him and in one of the corridors but he didn't say anything and they all three walked into the observation deck together.

"Indubitably, this is the Bad Wolf scenario. I find the inherent laxity of the on-going multiverse"

 _What's a Bad Wolf scenario?_ Talia though as The Doctor uses his sonic on the wall panel and then nods.

"That wasn't a gravity pocket. I know gravity pockets and they don't feel like that. What do you think, Jabe? Listened to the engines. They've pitched up about thirty Hertz. That dodgy or what?"

Talia turned to see that the tree alien, Jabe, had indeed joined them.

"It's the sound of metal. It doesn't make any sense to me." Jabe said to him.

"Where's the engine room?" The Doctor asked her.

"I don't know, but the maintenance duct is just behind our guest suite, I could show you and your wife and your concubine."

"Whoa!" Talia gasped out, not sure if she was the assumed wife or concubine, but neither sounded appealing at the moment no matter how cute she thought the Doctor was.

"She's not my wife, and I do not have a concubine."

"Partners? The three of you?"

Talia grimaced in disgust as the Doctor said, "No."

"Prostitute?"

"Oh my God! We're not his anything! We're just traveling with him!" Talia exclaimed.

"Whatever we are, it must be invisible. Do you mind? Tell you what, you two go and pollinate. Me and Talia are going to catch up with family. Quick word with Michael Jackson."

"Don't start a fight." The Doctor said to them.

"And I want you home by midnight." Rose yells back to him as he walks out with Jabe.

Rose walked away and Talia followed after her, "Rose, I don't want to talk to the 'last Human' but the giant head in a bowl seems interesting."

 _"Earth Death in fifteen minutes. Earth Death in fifteen minutes."_

"Fine, just be careful."

Talia gave Rose a quick hug, "When am I not careful? Don't worry, nothing will happen."

Rose just rolled her eyes and walked over to Cassandra and Talia turned and walked over to the Face of Boe. The head was large, about four or fight feet tall with golden eyes so filled with knowledge.

"Um, hello there. My name is Talia."

"Yes, hello, Talia."

Talia almost gasped when she heard the Face of Boe speak, because his lips did not move as his voice was heard in her mind.

"I came to thank you, the steward said that this event was hosted by you. So, thank you. As strange as it is to me, I'm glad that we're here today to see this."

The Face of Boe nodded in his tank, "The Earth is very precious to me, it was only fitting that someone such as I should witness it's final moments."

"Someone such as you, sir?"

The Face of Boe laughs echoed throughout her mind, "Just call me Boe, young one."

"Okay, Boe, I'm sorry if that question is to personal."

"You can ask me anything," He said with kindness in his eyes. "I am very old, young Talia, and I have seen a great many things and been to many places. The Earth was one of my homes in my life, one of my most cherished homes. I have come to bid it goodbye."

Talia looked around to see Rose storming out of the observation deck, "I'm so very sorry to leave Mr. Boe, sir. But my friend is upset and I need to go check on her."

"Always so caring, Talia. Go, take care of your friend."

"Thank you for your company, Mr. Boe."

"Just Boe to you, Talia." She heard drift through her mind as she ran to find Rose.

"Rose!" Talia yelled as she ran through a corridor and finally caught up to her friend. "What's wrong?"

"That bitchy trampoline in there makes my skin crawl," Rose admitted as they walked together. "Do you know how many surgeries she's had done? Seven hundred and eight! And she calls herself the last pure human!"

"Calm down Rose," Talia said with a laugh. "And did you just call her a bitchy trampoline?"

Rose smiled, "Did to her face too."

"Oh, that is magnificent!" Talia said happily.

"Oh, hello," Rose said as the Adherents of the Repeated Meme walk near them.

They were met with silence, then they both felt something sharply hit the back of their heads and they were greeted by the darkness that enveloped them.

0o0o0o0o0

Talia opens her eyes with a groan as she felt as if a jackhammer was making friends with her head.

"Rose?" She called out looking around.

Talia spun around and then spotted Rose laying a few feet away from her, unconscious.

"Rose!" Talia crawled over to Rose and shook her shoulders, trying to wake her.

"Five more minutes, mum." Rose grumbles out.

"I am not your mum! Now wake up! We were hit by those Meme aliens!" Talia shook Rose's shoulders again and finally the blonde began to open her eyes.

"Talia? What?"

"Like I said, the Adherents of the Repeated Meme aliens knocked us out and put us in this room, though I don't know why." Talia stood up and looked around, seeing the door. "Come on, Rose."

 _"Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending."_

"No! Come on Rose!" Talia grabs Rose's had and drags her to the door. They pulled and pushed but they door wouldn't open.

"Let us out! Let us out!" The yelled as the sun filter began to descend and light from the sun began to fill the room.

 _"Sun filter descending."_

"Let us out!" Rose continued to scream as Talia began to look for a place to hide if the sun filter opened completely.

 _"Sun filter descending."_

"I know already! Shut it!" Talia yelled at the ceiling.

"Let us out! Let us out!" Rose banged on the door.

 _"Sun filter descending."_

"Anyone in there?" Came a muffled shout from the other side of the door.

"Its Talia and Rose," Talia yelled as the light got closer to them.

"Let us out!"

"Oh, well, it would be you two."

"Doctor? If you wouldn't mind opening the door." Talia said with wide eyes as the rays of light got closer.

"Open the door!" Rose yells to him.

"Hold on. Give us two ticks."

 _"Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending."_

The rays reach the top of the door and Talia's eyes widen.

 _"Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising."_

She breathed out a sigh of relief and looked to Rose who was breathing hard.

 _"Sun filter descending."_

"Just what we need."

"Doctor, I really don't feel like getting roasted like a marshmallow!" Talia watches the rays creep closer.

"The computer's getting clever." He said and Talia could hear the whirring of the sonic on the other side of the door.

"Stop mucking about!" Rose yelled at him.

"I'm not mucking about. It's fighting back." He yelled right back.

"Calm down, please, Rose." Talia looks up to see the rays where getting closer to their heads.

"Open the door!" They yelled together.

"I know!"

Rose moves away from the door and pulls Talia with her.

"The lock's melted!"

 _"Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending. Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising."_

They run back to the door and they try to open it.

"The whole thing's jammed. I can't open the doors. Stay there! Don't move!" The Doctor yelled, his voice getting further away.

"Where are am we going to go, Ipswich?" Rose retorted.

 _"Earth Death in five minutes."_

"I never even got to talk to Mickey, or tell my mum goodbye."

"Stop thinking like that, Rose."

" I never got to do my A levels." Rose said.

Talia grinned, "I've never had a boyfriend before.

"That's a pity," Rose responded, looking to Talia.

"Eh, could be worse."

"I don't want to die yet, Talia," Rose said as they slid down the door and sat on the floor.

 _"Safety systems failing."_

"Rose Tyler, I swear to you, you will not die."

"Is it one of your feelings?" Rose asked.

"Heat levels rising."

"Would it make you feel better if I said yes? Talia glanced at Rose.

"I'm not sure."

 _"Heat rising."_

Rose took of her jacket as sweat began to slide off her face.

"You smell," Talia said with a smile.

Rose laughed, "Well you don't smell much better!"

 _"Earth Death in two minutes. Earth Death in two minutes."_

"I'd never thought I'd be here." Rose admitted, "Doing something dangerous and slightly exciting."

"Well its on my bucket list to be burned alive by the sun." Talia said with a straight face.

 _"Heat levels critical."_

"Are you joking? Or is it really on your bucket list? I can never tell with you."

Talia laughed, "This definitely never made it to my bucket list. But fish people did."

"Fish people? You thought you were more likely to meet fish people than to burned alive by the sun?

 _"Heat levels critical."_

"You know, this computer is very annoying, telling us things that we already know. But yes, fish people."

 _"Heat levels rising. Heat levels rising."_

"You're insane." Rose gasped out between her laughs.

 _"External temperature five thousand degrees."_

"Thank you."

 _"Heat levels rising. Heat levels rising."_

"What do you think the Doctor is doing right now?" Rose asked.

 _"Heat levels hazardous."_

Talia sighed, "I think that he is currently trying to fix whatever is happening."

 _"Heat levels hazardous."_

The windows begin to crack and Talia grabs onto Rose's hand and holds on tightly.

"No matter if we live or survive today I just want you to know you've always been my best mate." Talia said to her.

 _"Shields malfunction. Shields malfunction. Shields malfunction."_

"What happened to being positive?" Rose trembled as the glass began to break and random streams of the rays flowed into the room

 _"Heat levels critical. Heat levels critical."_

"A girl can only be positive so long in a life and death situation." Talia screamed out as a ray of light hit near them.

 _"Heat levels rising. Heat levels rising."_

They girls scoot closer to each other as more rays enter the room.

 _"Planet explodes in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five-"_

"You've been my best mate too, Talia. You're more like the sister I've never had."

 _"Four, three, two-"_

They both squeeze their eyes shut as they room is almost completely filled with the rays of light.

 _"One."_

They both breath heavily when they feel the heat surround them. And then it stops.

 _"Exoglass repair. Exoglass repair. Exoglass repair."_

Talia slowly opens her eyes and looks around, "Rose."

Rose opens her eyes and both girls watch as the window begins to fix itself and the door opens behind them. They share a sad look when they see pieces of the Earth floating around the window.

 _"Exoglass repair."_

They stand up and Talia looks Rose over, "You're okay? You weren't burned were you?"

Rose shakes her head, "No, I'm fine, are you?"

Talia nods, "Will probably have a good cry later but yeah, I'm fine. We should go find the Doctor."

Rose nodded and they both ran out of the room towards the observation deck.

They enter and see that only one alien was killed, the Moxx of Balhoon. And Talia and Rose found out that Cassandra was behind this whole mess.

Talia glanced around and once she saw the Face of Boe alive and well she let out a sigh of relief.

The Doctor walks in but goes straight past them and towards the other two trees.

Talia and Rose both heard him say that Jabe didn't make it either.

"I'm sorry." He said to them before walking to Talia and Rose.

"You all right?" Rose asked him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm full of ideas, I'm bristling with them. Idea number one, teleportation through five thousand degrees needs some kind of feed. Idea number two, this feed must be hidden nearby."

He was visibly angry as he walked over to the ostrich egg and smashes it, they could all see a small mechanical device inside. "Idea number three, if you're as clever as me, then a teleportation feed can be reversed."

Everyone in the room watched as Cassandra, "Oh, you should have seen their little alien faces." She said, unaware of who she was around. She finally opened her eyes and took a look at her surroundings, "Oh."

"The last human." The Doctor said through his teeth.

"So, you passed my little test. Bravo. This makes you eligible to join, er, the Human Club." Cassandra stammered out.

"People have died, Cassandra. You murdered them." The Doctor yelled.

Everyone was watching, but no one moved to interfere between the Doctor and Cassandra.

Cassandra smirked, "It depends on your definition of people, and that's enough of a technicality to keep your lawyers dizzy for centuries. Take me to court, then, Doctor, and watch me smile and cry and flutter-"

A small creaking echoed through the room.

"And creak?"

"And what?" Cassandra asked.

"Creak. You're creaking."

Another, much louder, creak echoed through the room and Cassandra's eyes widened.

"What? Ah! I'm drying out! Oh, sweet heavens. Moisturize me, moisturize me! Where are my surgeons? My lovely boys! It's too hot!" She screamed out.

"You raised the temperature." The Doctor stated.

"Have pity! Moisturize me! Oh, oh, Doctor. I'm sorry. I'll do anything."

Talia felt guilt churn in her stomach and Cassandra began drying out.

"Help her." Rose said to the Doctor.

"Everything has its time and everything dies." He responded without looking at her.

"I'm too young!" Cassandra screams out before her body explodes.

Pieces of skin and blood rained down around them and Talia felt like she was going to be sick.

Some of the short blue aliens came out and started to clean up the mess as everyone else began to leave until the Doctor, Rose, Talia and the Face of Boe were left.

Before the Face of Boe left, he stopped in front of Talia and gave her a small smile, which wasn't truly small on his large face. "Everything will be fine Talia. And don't forget, talking to those around you, your friends, can help with any situation."

With a final nod of his head, the Face of Boe was gone. Talia didn't know why, but she felt strangely attached to the large alien.

"What did he say to you?" Rose asked softly.

Talia smiled, "He just said bye, we had talked a bit earlier and I was glad to see that he was okay." She didn't know why she lied, she just felt as if it wasn't time to share his words.

 _"Shuttles four and six departing. This unit now closing down for maintenance."_

Talia looked out the large window and wiped at the tear that appeared.

"The end of the Earth. It's gone. We were too busy saving ourselves. No one saw it go. All those years, all that history, and no one was even looking. It's just-"

The Doctor looked between Rose and Talia and nodded, "Come with me."

They all walk to the Tardis and with a few buttons pushed he walked to the door, pulling Rose and Talia with him.

They walk out into the busy twenty first century London. People were just walking around, enjoying their day out.

"Big Issue! Big Issue!" A man yelled, waving a newspaper.

"You think it'll last forever, people and cars and concrete, but it won't. One day it's all gone. Even the sky. My planet's gone. It's dead. It burned like the Earth. It's just rocks and dust before it's time."

Talia looked at the Doctor wide eyed.

"What happened?" Rose asked softly.

"There was a war and we lost." He stated.

"A war with who?" Talia asked.

"What about your people?" Rose added.

"I'm a Time Lord. I'm the last of the Time Lords. They're all gone. I'm the only survivor. I'm left travelling on my own cause there's no one else."

"There's me." Rose stated.

"And me," Talia added.

"You've both seen how dangerous it is. Do you two want to go home?"

Talia thought about it for a moment before she shook her head, "I don't."

Rose sighed, "I don't know. I want. Oh, can you smell chips?"

"Oh, I do." Talia said as she sniffed the air.

"Yeah. Yeah." The Doctor said with a grin.

"I want chips." Rose beamed.

"Me too." The Doctor said.

"Oh, me three." Talia added.

"Right then, before you get us back in that box, chips it is, and you can pay." Rose said as they walked towards a chip stand.

"No money." The Doctor said.

"What sort of date are you? Come on then, tightwad, chips are on me. We've only got five billion years till the shops close."

Talia laughed as they all got their chips and sat down. Despite the dangers of the adventures she was sure would happen with the Doctor, Talia couldn't wait for more.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here is the next chapter fro Talia! I hope you guys think it's okay! I've been trying to think of ideas for some original episodes but nothing is coming to mind yet. But I am so sorry for taking so long to update! But Earthshine is my first priority! Please continue to review! Reviews make me happy and encourag eme to try and write faster! Can we try for atleast 5 new reviews for this chappie? If we can get to ten new reviews then I will update again within the week! Woot XD**

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Chapter Three

"Okay, our next adventure!" The Doctor ran to the console and began to push a few buttons. The Tardis began to shake a bit and he looked over to Rose and Talia who were standing by the railing. "Rose, Talia, you two come here."

They walked over to him and he grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her over to the console, "You hold this button right here." He then grabbed Talia and told her to do the same thing with two different buttons, her ignoring the small shock she got as she placed her hands on the small buttons.

"You sure this is okay?" Talia asked as he began to pilot his ship.

"Of course it is!" He said happily.

The Tardis began to jerk more and the Doctor looked over to Rose, "Hold that one down!" He points to another button.

"I'm holding this one down." She said with a smile.

"Well, hold them both down."

"It's not going to work." She said while stretching to reach the other button.

"Can you reach it, Rose?" Talia said while looking at her blonde friend.

"I think I can, yeah." Rose reached over and was thankfully able to hold the other button down.

"Oi! I promised you a time machine and that's what you're getting. Now, you've seen the future, let's have a look at the past. 1860. How does 1860 sound?"

"1860 sounds wonderful!" Talia said with a large smile.

The Doctor smiled back at her before Rose spoke, "What happened in 1860?"

"I don't know," The Doctor's reply was, which had Talia laughing. "Let's find out. Hold on, here we go!"

The Tardis lands roughly and the Doctor, Talia, and Rose find themselves laying on the grating, laughing and breathing hard.

"We need to do that again," Talia said with a large smile.

"Blimey!" Rose said through her laugh.

"You're telling me. Are you two all right?"

"I'm perfect!" Talia said while standing up, then turned to help Rose to her feet.

"Yeah. I think so. Nothing broken. Did we make it? Where are we?" Rose asked as they walked to the console.

The Doctor looked at the strange symbols and then smiled, "I did it. Give the man a medal. Earth, Naples, December 24th, 1860."

"No way, we've landed in the past on Christmas? That's wonderful."

"That's so weird. It's Christmas."

"All yours, if you two would like to go out there."

"I definitely want to go!"

"But, it's like, think about it, though. Christmas. 1860. Happens once, just once and it's gone, it's finished, it'll never happen again. Except for you. You can go back and see days that are dead and gone a hundred thousand sunsets ago. No wonder you never stay still."

Rose had stepped closer to the Doctor and was looking up at his face. _Is Rose flirting?_ Talia thought as she took in the scene in front of her.

"Not a bad life." He replied while staring right back at Rose, only glancing up slightly at Talia.

Rose shook her head with a smile, "Better with three. Come on, then."

Rose grabbed Talia's hand and they were running towards the door when the Doctor stopped them.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" He asked while looking at them.

"1860." Talia and Rose responded at the same time.

"Go out there dressed like that, you two will start a riot. There's a wardrobe through there. First left, second right, third on the left, go straight ahead, under the stairs, past the bins, fifth door on your left. Hurry up!"

Talia looks at Rose with wide eyes as they walked away, "Did you catch all of that?"

Rose looked at Talia sheepishly, "Not really, did you?"

Talia laughed and shook her head, "I got some of it, we can figure out the rest."

0o0o0o0o0

"Where you flirting with the Doctor by the console?" Talia asked as she put on her dress.

"No, of course not. Well, maybe. Is that bad?" Talia could hear Rose a few rows down, also changing.

"Well you and Mickey still are together." Talia said as she buttoned the dress up.

"You know how I feel about him and me now."

"That doesn't change the fact that you two are still together." Talia let her black hair down and then braided it and pinned it back to her head. She put on little make up and wore no jewelry.

"You're right." Talia heard Rose walking closer.

"Of course I am, I'm your best friend so by default I'm always right."

"Har har." Rose said as she came into view.

"Oh, Rose, you look gorgeous." Talia said honestly as she took in her best friend, Rose wore a black sequined top that was cut low, a long red skirt that had a few ruffles, and black heels on her feet. Rose's hair was up in a bun with a small hat attached, "Nice cape, you decided to become supergirl?"

Rose pulled tha black cape like jacket over her shoulders, "If it's Christmas then it could be snowing." She defended herself.

"I'm just joking." Talia said with a smile.

"But thank you, Talia, and you look wonderful too."

Talia looked down at her light blue dress that hung down her feet and barely an inch of skin was showing around her neck. The petticoat made the dress circle out around her and a few silver bottons ran from her neck down to her bossom and a small flower belt wrapped around her waist.

"I feel strange."

"Well you look beautiful, that color really brings out your eyes."

"Thank you, Rosie." Talia said with a grin.

Rose just rolled her eyes "Are you ready?

"Yes," Talia replied exitedly. "1860 here we come!"

Talia grabbed Rose's hand and dragged her all the way back to the console room where the Doctor was underneath it and working with his sonic screwdriver.

He looked up and spotted Rose first, "Blimey!" He smiled while looking at her.

"Don't laugh." Rose said with a blush.

"You look beautiful, considering."

Talia felt an unfamiliar churning in her stomach but ignored it as the Doctor and Rose continued.

"Considering what?"

"That you're human."

"I think that's a compliment." Rose said, looking at Talia, then she looked back to the Doctor, "Aren't you going to change?"

"I've changed my jumper." The Doctor finally took notice of Talia and smiled at her, "You look beautiful as well, Talia."

"For a human?" She responded with a blush and a smile.

The Doctor smiled back, "For a human. Come on."

Rose pointed to the Doctor, "You stay there. You've done this before. This belongs to me and Talia."

Both girls grinned at each other before walking to the Tardis' doors. Talia hesitated a moment before she and Rose opened the doors.

They both carefully stepped out into a snowy street and they grinned.

Talia spun, looking around, "This is amazing"

"We're in the past." Rose said breathlessly as she looked around.

The Doctor walked out, staring at the two with his smile still on his face, "Ready for this? Here we go. History."

"Let's go," Talia declared happily and she wrapped one of her arms around one of the Doctor's as Rose did the same to his other arm.

They began to walk to the street and could hear a choir singing as the girls looked around, taking everything in.

"This is all so wonderful," Talia breathed out.

The Doctor spotted a man selling newspapers and walks the girls over and buys one. He lets go of their arms and reads the paper as Rose and Talia continue to just stare at their surroundings.

"I got the flight a bit wrong." The Doctor said as he looks to them.

"We don't care." Rose said smiling, not sparing him a glance.

"It's not 1860, it's 1869." He said.

"We don't care, this is too amazing." Talia said as she looked at him.

"And it's not Naples."

"We don't care." Talia and Rose said together.

"It's Cardiff." The Doctor said seriously.

Rose finally looks at him, "Right."

They all turn as screams began to echo from the theatre.

"That's more like it!" The Doctor said with a smile before taking off towards the theatre.

They ran through the doors and past all of the screaming people that were trying to get out of the building. The Doctor, Talia, and Rose enter the main theatre and look up in shock as what looks like a ghost is flying around above them.

"Fantastic." Yells the Doctor as he runs towards the stage with Talia running after him.

"Did you see where it came from?" The Doctor asked the man on the stage once they reach him.

"Ah, the wag reveals himself, does he? I trust you're satisfied, sir!"

"The Doctor has done nothing wrong!" Talia said to the older man.

"Oi! Leave her alone! Doctor, I'll get them." Talia heard Rose yell out.

"Be careful! Did it say anything? Can it speak? I'm the Doctor, by the way."

Talia looked for Rose, but she was already out the door.

"Doctor? You look more like a navvie. And who are you, young lady?"

"Talia Josephs, sir."

"What's wrong with this jumper?" The Doctor asked Talia.

She smiled at him, "Nothing is wrong with your jumper."

"Is this your wife?" The man asked the Doctor.

"No, just my traveling companion, well one of them."

"You travel with many people?" The man asked.

"Sometimes," The Doctor said as he looked around for the ghost. He sees it fly into the gas light and grins, "Gas! It's made of gas."

"So now let's find Rose," Talia said while running to the doors.

"Rose!" The Doctor yells out once they come outside, but they don't see her anywhere.

"Where is she?" Talia asked.

"You're not escaping me, sir, miss. What do you two know about that hobgoblin, hmm? Projection on glass, I suppose. Who put you two up to it?" The man asked as he followed them.

"No one put us up to anything because we had no part in it!" Talia was almost panicking looking for Rose and not seeing her anywhere.

"Yeah, mate. Not now, thanks. Oi, you! Follow that hearse!" The Doctor said as he grabs Talia's hand and pulls her into a carriage.

"A hearse, Doctor?"

"Someone put Rose into a hearse?" Talia questioned.

"I can't do that, sir." The driver said, looking back at the two inside the carriage.

"Why not?" The Doctor asked with a frown.

"I'll tell you why not. I'll give you a very good reason why not. Because this is my coach." The man from before yelled, annoyed.

"Well, get in, then. Move!" The Doctor yells to the man, who complies.

The carriage takes off down the street and the Doctor looks out the window, " Come on, you're losing them."

Talia looked to the older man, "I'm so sorry about taking your carriage. Our friend may be in danger and we must help her Mr.?"

The mans eyes seemed to soften, if only slightly, "Dickens. Charles Dickens."

"It is lovely to meet you Mr. Dickens, even in these circumstances." Talia said with a small smile.

"Everything in order, Mr. Dickens?" The coach driver asked.

Charles Dickens seemed to shake himself out of the happiness and, once again, became annoyed, "No! It is not!

"What did he say?" The Doctor asked, finally listening.

"Let me say this first. I'm not without a sense of humor." Charles continued.

"Dickens?" The Doctor asked, shocked.

"Yes." Charles said.

"Charles Dickens?"

"Yes, Doctor," Talia said, amused.

"The Charles Dickens?" The Doctor asked once again, awestruck.

"Should I remove the gentleman and the lady, sir?" The driver asked.

The Doctor laughed aloud with a large smile plastered to his face, "Charles Dickens? You're brilliant, you are. Completely one hundred percent brilliant. I've read them all. Great Expectations, Oliver Twist and what's the other one, the one with the ghost?"

"A Christmas Carol?" Charles asked while Talia just looked between the two of them, she was more of a Shakespeare fan to be honest.

"No, no, no, the one with the trains. The Signal Man, that's it. Terrifying! The best short story ever written. You're a genius." The Doctor praised.

"You want me to get rid of them, sir?" The driver asked again.

"Er, no, I think they can stay." Charles said while looking between Talia and the Doctor.

"Honestly, Charles. Can I call you Charles? I'm such a big fan." The Doctor said, happily.

"A what? A big what?"

"Fan. Number one fan, that's me."

"How exactly are you a fan? In what way do you resemble a means of keeping oneself cool?"

"1869, Doctor," Talia laughed.

"No, it means fanatic, devoted to. Mind you, I've got to say, that American bit in Martin Chuzzlewit, what's that about? Was that just padding or what? I mean, it's rubbish, that bit."

Talia put her face in her hands and shook her head, _You don't criticize the man who is giving us a lift, Doctor._

"I thought you said you were my fan." Charles was once again annoyed.

"Ah, well, if you can't take criticism. Go on, do the death of Little Nell, it cracks me up. No, sorry, forget about that. Come on, faster!" The Doctor yelled to the driver.

"Your friend is in the hearse?"

"Yes she is. She's only nineteen. It's my fault. She's in my care, they both are, and now she's in danger."

"Why are we wasting my time talking about dry old books? This is much more important. Driver, be swift! The chase is on!"

"Yes, sir!" The driver yelled and then they were going faster.

"Attaboy, Charlie." The Doctor said with a grin.

"Nobody calls me Charlie." Charles responded.

"The ladies do."

Talia's face lit up as she looked out the window, _Oh please, spare me._

"How do you know that?" Charles asked as he glanced at Talia.

"I told you, I'm your number one," The Doctor replied, his silly grin still stretched across his face.

"Number one fan." Charles muttered.

"I'm so glad that conversation is over," Talia whispered.

They finally caught up to the hearse, which was now outside of what looked like a funeral home.

The Doctor and Talia climbed out of the carriage and heard Charles climb out behind them and dismiss his driver for a few hours.

"You hanging around?" The Doctor asked as they walked to the door.

"I am curious to see what is going on Mr. Doctor, nothing more."

"Just Doctor."

Talia knocks on the door as soon as they reach it and they wait a moment before a girl around her age opens the doors.

"I'm sorry, sir's, ma'am. We're closed."

Charles shook his head, "Nonsense. Since when did an Undertaker keep office hours? The dead don't die on schedule. I demand to see your master."

"He's not in, sir." She said softly.

"Don't lie to me, child. Summon him at once."

"Mr. Dickens, please be more kind." Talia admonished.

"It's fine miss, and I'm awfully sorry, Mr. Dickens, but the master's indisposed."

The Doctor stares at a gas lamp is it begins to flare and he points to it, "Having trouble with your gas?"

"What the Shakespeare is going on?" Charles asked.

The Doctor walked past the girl and walks to the gas lamp that was flaring up.

"You're not allowed inside, sir." She told him.

"There's something inside the walls." The Doctor said, ignoring the girl and putting an ear against the wall.

"What is it, Doctor?" Talia asks, walking over to him.

"The gas pipes. Something's living inside the gas."

"Open the door!" Rose's screams echo down the hall and Talia immediately takes off towards it.

"Rose!" Talia reaches the door but its locked and she can't get it open. "Rose, I will get you out! I promise!"

"Please, please, let me out!" Rose yells.

Talia throws her shoulder against the door, but the heavy wood doesn't move an inch.

"Just-just give me a second, Rose!"

"Let me out! Somebody open the door! Open the door!"

Talia was about to throw her shoulder against the door again when the Doctor ran up to her and pulls her away, "Stand back."

He backs up and then with one kick he gets the door to burst open.

"Rose!" Talia yells as she sees two animated bodies holding Rose close.

The Doctor grabs Rose's arm and pulls her away, "I think this is my dance."

Talia pulls Rose away from the Doctor and into a hug, "You scared me!"

"They're dead, Talia." Rose said while looking at the cadavers.

"It's a prank. It must be. We're under some mesmeric influence." Charles said while looking at the two bodies.

"No, we're not. The dead are walking. Hi." The Doctor said to him, directing the last word to Rose.

"Hi. Who's your friend?" She asked.

"Charles Dickens." Talia said at the same time of the Doctor.

"Okay." Rose nodded.

"My name's the Doctor. Who are you, then? What do you want?" He looked to the bodies.

"Failing. Open the rift. We're dying. Trapped in this form. Cannot sustain. Help us. Argh!" There were several voices overlapping each other as the body spoke, then the blue gas drifts from the bodies mouths and disappear into the lamps as the now unihabited bodies fall to the ground.

"Would you like me to make some tea, sir?"

Talia looked to see that the young lady from before and an older man were with them.

The old man nodded, "Yes, we shall go to the the sitting room."

The old man walked away with everyone follwoing him to the living room.

Talia walked up to the girl and smiled at her, "My name is Talia, what's yours?"

The girl smiled, "My name is Gwyneth, miss."

"Oh please, none of this miss business. I'm no one important." Talia denied with a small blush.

Gwyneth got a far away look in her eyes, "Oh, but you are."

"I'm sorry?" Talia said, confused.

"Excuse me, miss, I must make the tea." Talia looked confused as Gwyneth walked away.

The old man sat down in a chair once they arrived in the living room and sighed as Gwyneth walked away to pour the tea.

Rose was now visibly upset, "First of all you drug me, then you kidnap me, and don't think I didn't feel your hands having a quick wander, you dirty old man."

"You did what?" Talia asked in a low voice.

"I won't be spoken to like this!" He stuttered out when he saw the look on Talia's face.

"Then you stuck me in a room full of zombies! And if that ain't enough, you swan off and leave me to die! So come on, talk!" Rose continued, walking closer to Talia.

The old man seemed to deflate, "It's not my fault. It's this house. It always had a reputation. Haunted. But I never had much bother until a few months back, and then the stiffs, the er, dear departed started getting restless."

"Tommyrot." Charles said in disbelief.

"You witnessed it. Can't keep the beggars down, sir. They walk. And it's the queerest thing, but they hang on to scraps."

Talia looks at Rose with wide eyes as she gulps, _We may seriously be dealing with some kind of ghosts._

Gwenyth walked around the room handing out tea when she finally reached Talia. Gwyneth held out the cup but Talia just smiled at her as the men and Rose had a conversation in the background.

"Do you ever get to have tea in the sitting room?" Talia asked her.

Gwyneth shook her head, "No miss, though once sir let me have a small glass with him after a very difficult day."

"Really, please, don't call me miss." Talia pushed the glass back to Gwyneth, "Why don't you drink it? I'm not very thirsty anyways."

"Oh, mi-Taila, I couldn't." Gwyneth said, her eyes widening.

Talia looked aroung Gwyneth to see that the Doctor was currently keeping the old man occupied, "He's busy, go on."

Gwyneth hesitated before she took a small drink from the glass and then looked around.

Talia laughed, "See, wasn't too hard. I honestly think its ridiculous that you can't drink tea with us."

Gwyneth blushed and shook her head wiht a small smile, "I must get back to work, Talia."

"Finish that tea for me," Talia told Gwyneth as she walked away, then Talia tuned into what the others were talking about.

"Means it's getting stronger, the rift's getting wider and something's sneaking through."

"Rift?" Talia asked, now standing next to Rose.

"What's the rift?" Rose then asked.

"A weak point in time and space. A connection between this place and another. That's the cause of ghost stories, most of the time." The Doctor said as he watched Charles.

Talia looked at Sneed as he spoke, "That's how I got the house so cheap. Stories going back generations."

Charles shakes his head and then walks out of the room with a huff, slamming the door behind him.

"Echoes in the dark, queer songs in the air, and this feeling like a shadow passing over your soul. Mind you, truth be told, it's been good for business. Just what people expect from a gloomy old trade like mine."

The Doctor nodded, "Of course, nothing better than a haunted home to take your deceased family members to be tended to after their parting. If you will excuse me."

He walked out of the same door and Talia just shook her head and looked to Rose as Sneed began mumbling to himself.

"Are you okay?"

Rose nodded with a small smile, "I was terrified for a moment before, but I'm fine now."

"You're sure?"

Rose rolled her eyes, "Yes mum, I'm sure."

"You can't up and disappear on me Rose," Talia said, but she was smiling.

"You're never getting rid of me, remember I'm the sister you never wanted."

Talia laughed, "That is true."

Gwyneth gathered a few things and then walked out of the room.

"I'm going to go talk to her, want to come with me?" Talia asked Rose as she began to walk after Gwyneth.

Rose shrugged, "Sure, beats staying here with him." Rose pointed to Mr. Sneed and both girls walked out of the room, following after Gwyneth and laughing.

"Gwyneth," Talia said loud enough for Gwyneth to hear her.

"Hello miss, Talia."

"Do you mind if we join you?" Talia asked.

"Of course not," Gwyneth replied with a smile.

They all three walked into the pantry and Gwyneth walked to the side to light a gas lamp and Rose walked to the washing bin and started cleaning the dishes that were there.

"Please, miss, you shouldn't be helping. It's not right." Gwyneth said when she noticed what Rose was doing.

"Don't be daft. Sneed works you to death. How much do you get paid?" Rose replied.

Talia moved to stand next to Rose when Gwyneth answered, "Eight pound a year, miss."

"What?" Talia was shocked, _only eight pounds a year!_

"How much?" Rose asked, mouth agape.

"I know. I would've been happy with six." Gwyneth said with a shrug.

Talia laughed and shook her head, this girl was so sweet.

"So, did you go to school or what?" Rose asked as she leaned against the wall.

"Of course I did. What do you think I am, an urchin? I went every Sunday, nice and proper."

"Just Sundays?" Talia asked curiously. She would have loved to only have to go to school on Sundays when she was younger.

"We did sums and everything. To be honest, I hated every second." Gwyneth admitted with a blush.

"Me too."

"Me three." Talia said with a grin.

Gwyneth looked to the door before she looked back at Talia and Rose, "Don't tell anyone, but one week, I didn't go and ran on the heath all on my own."

Rose laughed, "I did plenty of that. I used to go down the shops with my mate Shareen. We used to go and look at boys."

"Well, I don't know much about that, miss."

"Come on, times haven't changed that much, even Talia has done it. I bet you've done the same."

"Hey! You make it sound like I never do anything, stop picking on me." Talia grumbled.

Gwyneth looked between the two and the blush was still present on her face, "I don't think so, miss."

"Gwyneth, you can tell me. I bet you've got your eye on someone." Rose said, ignoring Talia.

Gwyneth looked at Talia and smiled, "I suppose. There is one lad. The butchers boy. He comes by every Tuesday. Such a lovely smile on him."

Talia almost giggled at the cute love-struck expression on Gwyneth's face.

"I like a nice smile. Good smile, nice bum."

"Rose!" Talia was slightly shocked, surely her friend remembered that they weren't in their time period and things were different here.

"Well, I have never heard the like." Gwyneth straightened up and looked at Rose with wide eyes and a serious face.

"Ask him out. Give him a cup of tea or something, that's a start." Rose said with a soft smile.

Gwyneth looked between the two girls before settling on Rose, "I swear it is the strangest thing, miss. You've got all the clothes and the breeding, but you talk like some sort of wild thing."

Rose shrugged, "Maybe I am. Maybe that's a good thing. You need a bit more in your life than Mr. Sneed."

"Oh, now that's not fair. He's not so bad, old Sneed. He was very kind to me to take me in because I lost my mum and dad to the flu when I was twelve."

Talia looked to the floor, sadness filling her, thinking of her own parents.

Rose looked to Talia's quiet figure and then back to Gwyneth, "Oh, I'm sorry."

"Thank you, miss. But I'll be with them again, one day, sitting with them in paradise. I shall be so blessed. They're waiting for me. Maybe your dad's up there waiting for you too, miss. And all of your parents, Talia."

"All of my parents?"

Rose looked at Talia shocked, "Maybe. Er, who told you he was dead?"

Gwyneth looked away, "I don't know. Must have been the Doctor."

Talia shook her head as Rose moved closer To Gwyneth, "My father died years back."

Talia's own parents had died in a robbery gone wrong four years ago.

Gwyneth got a strange faraway look in her eyes as she stared at Rose, "But you've been thinking about him lately more than ever."

Rose shrugged, "I suppose so. How do you know all this?"

Gwyneth smiled and shook her head, "Mr. Sneed says I think too much. I'm all alone down here. I bet you've got dozens of servants, haven't you, miss, Talia?"

"Definitely not," Talia said while still looking at Gwyneth. _And you're not the only one that is sort of alone._

Gwyneth stared at Talia, "Oh, but you're not." Talia went wide eyed and looked from Rose to Gwyneth as the girl continued, "And you've both come such a long way."

"What makes you think so?" Rose asked, curious.

Gwyneth looked away from the girls and her eyes seemed to glaze over, "You're both from London. I've seen London in drawings, but never like that. All those people rushing about half naked, for shame. And the noise, and the metal boxes racing past, and the birds in the sky, no, they're metal as well. Metal birds with people in them. People are flying. And you two, you both have flown so far. Further than anyone. The things you've seen, even you miss Talia. Like me, yet so different, oh so different. Never fitting in with the rest of humanity. And Rose, the darkness, the big bad wolf. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, miss."

Gwyneth snapped out of whatever trance she was in and backs away from Rose and Talia. Talia caught Rose giving her a worried glance and Talia walked over to Gwyneth and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Talia asked kindly.

Gwyneth nodded, "Yes I'm alright."

"What was that?" Talia asked her.

"I can't help it. Ever since I was a little girl, my mum said I had the sight. She told me to hide it." Gwyneth replied quietly.

"But it's getting stronger, more powerful, is that right?"

Talia jumped and looked to the doorway to see the Doctor standing there, watching Gwyneth. _How much had he heard?_

Gwyneth stood up straighter, "All the time, sir. Every night, voices in my head."

"You grew up on top of the rift. You're part of it. You're the key." The Doctor said with a serious look on his face.

"I've tried to make sense of it, sir. Consulted with spiritualists, table rappers, all sorts."

"Well, that should help. You can show us what to do."

"What to do where, sir?"

The Doctor grins and looks at all three girls, "We're going to have a seance."

0o0o0o0o0

Twenty minutes later, Talia found herself sitting in between the Doctor and Mr. Sneed at a round table. Gwyneth would be leading the seance, but Talia couldn't help the uncomfortble feeling churning in her gut at the thought of the seance.

"This is how Madam Mortlock summons those from the Land of Mists, down in big town. Come, we must all join hands."

Talia looked at Gwyneth to see her holding her hands upwards, waiting for Rose and Charles to take them.

"I can't take part in this." Charles Dickens said with a shake of his head as he stood up.

The Doctor grinned "Humbug?" Rose and Talia both giggled and the Doctor grinned at them before continuing, "Come on, open mind."

Charles glared, "This is precisely the sort of cheap mummery I strive to unmask. Seances? Nothing but luminous tambourines and a squeeze box concealed between the knees. This girl knows nothing."

"Don't be rude to Gwyneth!" Talia almost yelled out.

The Doctor nodded, "Now, don't antagonise her. I love a happy medium."

"I can't believe you just said that." Rose told the Doctor as Talia just shook her head.

The Doctor motioned for Charles to sit back down, "Come on, we might need you."

Charles hesitates a moment before he sits back down.

The Doctor grinned, "Good man. Now, Gwyneth, reach out."

Gwyneth takes a deep breath and then looks towards the ceiling, "Speak to us. Are you there? Spirits, come. Speak to us that we may relieve your burden."

Talia gasped and looked around as whispering began echoing around them and the uncomfortable churning in her gut came back with full force.

"Can you hear that?" Rose whispered, looking around.

Talia could only nod as she looked to where the whispering was coming from.

"Nothing can happen. This is sheer folly." Charles denied.

"Look at her." Rose said to him.

Gwyneth's eye glazed over as she gasped out in awe, "I see them. I feel them."

Blue gas like tendrils began to come out of the gas powered lamps and swirl around thier heads.

"What's it saying?" Rose asked.

"They can't get through the rift. Gwyneth, it's not controlling you, you're controlling it. Now, look deep. Allow them through."

"I can't!" Gwyneth gasped out.

"Yes, you can. Just believe it. I have faith in you, Gwyneth. Make the link."

"Yes."

Three blue outlines of people appeared behind Gwyneth and Talia gasped as she stared at the figures.

"Great God! Spirits from the other side." Mr. Sneed uttered as he looked between the three beings hovering behind Gwyneth.

"The other side of the universe." The Doctor said.

"Pity us. Pity the Gelth. There is so little time. Help us." They sounded like children as the beings spoke with Gwyneth speaking with them. But Talia could not help but feel as if everything was not as it seemed.

"What do you want us to do?" The Doctor asked the beings seriously.

The blue beings, the Gelth, looked to the Doctor, "The rift. Take the girl to the rift. Make the bridge."

"What for?"

"We are so very few. The last of our kind. We face extinction." The Gelth repsonded.

"Why, what happened?" He asked them.

"Once we had a physical form like you, but then the war came."

Talia looked to the Doctor with a sad frown on her face.

"War? What war?" Charles asked them.

"The Time War. The whole universe convulsed. The Time War raged. Invisible to smaller species but devastating to higher forms. Our bodies wasted away. We're trapped in this gaseous state."

"So that's why you need the corpses." The Doctor stated.

"We want to stand tall, to feel the sunlight, to live again. We need a physical form, and your dead are abandoned. They're going to waste. Give them to us."

"But we can't." Rose interrupted, and Talia agreed with her.

"Why not?" The Doctor asked seriously as he turned to Rose.

Rose stammered, "It's not. I mean, it's not-"

"Not decent? Not polite? It could save their lives."

"There is something wrong about this." Talia said while looking at the Gelth.

The Doctor looked to her with a small frown.

"Open the rift. Let the Gelth through. We're dying. Help us. Pity the Gelth." The Gelth said as they disappeared back into the lamps.

Gwyneth collapsrs once they are gone and Talia jumps up to help her.

"Gwyneth?" Rose grabbed Gwyneth to make sure she was alright too.

"All true." Charles whispered out.

"Are you okay?"

"She's unconscious, help me move her, Rose." Talia put one of Gwyneth's arms around her shoulders and Rose grabbed the other and together they moved her into the lounge and laid her on a couch.

"It's all true." Charles said again.

Talia sat beside Gwyneth as the men walked into the lounge waited for Gwyneth to wake up.

Only a few minutes later, Gwyneth began to stir.

"It's all right. You just sleep." Rose said softly to Gwyneth as she sat up.

"But my angels, miss. They came, didn't they? They need me?"

"They do need you, Gwyneth. You're they're only chance of survival." The Doctor said as he walked over.

"She just woke up, please, just give her a moment." Talia said to the Doctor.

"And I've told you, leave her alone. She's exhausted and she's not fighting your battles. Drink this." Rose told him as she handed a glass of water to Gwyneth.

"Well, what did you say, Doctor? Explain it again. What are they?" Mr. Sneed asked as he stood from his chair.

"Aliens." The Doctor repsonded, still looking at Gwyneth.

"Like foreigners, you mean?"

"Pretty foreign, yeah. From up there." The Doctor pointed to the ceiling.

"Brecon?" Mr. Sneed asked.

"Close. And they've been trying to get through from Brecon to Cardiff but the road's blocked. Only a few can get through and even then they're weak. They can only test drive the bodies for so long, then they have to revert to gas and hide in the pipes."

"Which is why they need the girl." Charles stated.

"They're not having her." Rose defended Gwyneth as she stood in front of her.

And while Talia didn't like that Rose was trying to take away Gwyneth's choice, she couldn't shake this feeling like something was wrong. She looked to Gwyneth and found the concsious girl smiling softly at her.

"But she can help. Living on the rift, she's become part of it. She can open it up, make a bridge and let them through." The Doctor said.

"Incredible. Ghosts that are not ghosts but beings from another world, who can only exist in our world by inhabiting cadavers." Charles looked almost excited for a moment.

"Good system. It might work."

 _It won't_

"You can't let them run around inside of dead people." Rose argued.

"Why not? It's like recycling." The Doctor asked her.

"Seriously though, you can't."

"Seriously though, I can." The Doctor argued back and Talia just looked back at Gwyneth and saw she was getting upset.

"It's just wrong. Those bodies were living people. We should respect them even in death." Rose said.

"Do you carry a donor card?"

Rose paused for a second, "That's different. That's -"

"It is different, yeah. It's a different morality. Get used to it or go home. You heard what they said, time's short. I can't worry about a few corpses when the last of the Gelth could be dying."

"I don't care. They're not using her."

Talia stared at Gwyneth as she girl spoke up, "Don't I get a say, miss?"

Talia closed her eyes and sighed, trying to shake the feeling she had.

"Look, you don't understand what's going on." Rose spoke softly.

"You would say that, miss, because that's very clear inside your head, that you think I'm stupid."

"That's not fair."

"It's true, though. Things might be very different where you're from, but here and now, I know my own mind, and the angels need me." Gwyenth took a deep breath and then looked at the Doctor, "Doctor, what do I have to do?

He smiled at her, "You don't have to do anything."

"They've been singing to me since I was a child, sent by my mum on a holy mission. So tell me."

He nodded, "We need to find the rift. This house is on a weak spot, so there must be a spot that's weaker than any other. Mister Sneed, what's the weakest part of this house? The place where most of the ghosts have been seen?"

Mr. Sneed nodded, "That would be the morgue."

Talia groaned as Rose said ,"No chance you were going to say gazebo, is there?"

The Doctor and Rose walk away and Talia looks to Gwyneth, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Gwyneth nodded, "The angels need my help, so I will give it to them."

"Only if you're sure."

Gwyneth's eyes glazed over slightly as she stared back at Talia, "That feeling, the one that is churning in your gut, telling you with everything in your body that this is a bad idea. I can feel it coming from you." Gwyneth's eyes focussed back on Talia, "But I must help them, if not me? Then who?"

Talia nodded, "I understand this is your choice, but these feelings have never let me down before. Wh-what did you mean before? Everything you said earlier? All of my parents? I only have two. And like you, yet not, and not fitting in with the rest of humanity?"

Gwyneth sighed, "You will find out, it's not my place to tell you."

Talia rubbed her eyes, "Okay, well then, are you ready to go save your angels?

Gwyneth smiled, "Yes, I am."

She stood and pulled Talia with her as the Doctor walked back over.

He looked between the two girls before settling his gaze on the tired Talia, "Come, we're heading down now."

With one more smile shared between Talia and Gwyneth, they followed the Doctor, Mr. Sneed, Rose and Charles out the door and down to the morgue.

0o0o0o0o0

They walked into the cold morgue to see a few bodies covered in sheets on the tables and Talia almost gagged.

The Doctor frowned, "Urgh. Talk about Bleak House."

Talia watched Rose walked to the Doctor, "The thing is, Doctor, the Gelth don't succeed, cause I know they don't. I know for a fact there weren't corpses walking around in 1869."

Talia walked up next to them and nodded, "Yeah, there would have been some evidence if there were Gelth wandering around."

"Time's in flux, changing every second. Your cozy little world can be rewritten like that. Nothing is safe. Remember that. Nothing."

"Doctor, I think the room is getting colder." Charles said.

Talia looked up to the flickering lamps.

"Here they come." Rose said.

One of the Gelth comes out of the lamps and stops underneath and archway.

"You've come to help. Praise the Doctor. Praise him." It said as it looks to the Doctor.

Rose stepped forward, "Promise you won't hurt her."

But the Gelth ignored her, "Hurry! Please, so little time. Pity the Gelth."

The Doctor nodded, "I'll take you somewhere else after the transfer. Somewhere you can build proper bodies. This isn't a permanent solution, all right?"

Gwyneth stepped forward, "My angels. I can help them live."

"Okay, where's the weak point?"

The Gelth waved his arms towards the archway, "Here, beneath the arch."

Talia gives Gwyneth a quick hug, which shocked the girl, "Be careful."

Gwyneth smiled and nodded at Talia then looked back at the Gelth, "Beneath the arch."

She walks to the archway and stands before the Gelth, almost inside it.

Rose stepped forward after a quick glare to Talia, "You don't have to do this."

But Gwyneth wasn't looking at Rose, she was looking up with her eyes glazed over. "My angels"

"Establish the bridge. Reach out to the void. Let us through!" The Gelth said.

Talia stepped closer, biting her lip, watching Gwyneth for any sign of discomfort.

Gwyneth smiled, "Yes, I can see you. I can see you. Come!"

"Bridgehead establishing." The Gelth said.

"Come to me. Come to this world, poor lost souls!"

The Gelth smiles, "It is begun. The bridge is made."

Gwyneths mouth opens and more of the blue beings began to pour out.

"She has given herself to the Gelth. The bridge is open. We descend." The once blue Gelth with a childlike voice, turns a flaming red with sharp teeth and a deep voice as it stares at the other occupents of the room. "The Gelth will come through in force."

Many Gelth pour out of Gwyneth's mouth and swarm around the room and fly into the bodies.

Charles looked on in shock with everyone else, "You said that you were few in number."

The red Gelth looks at them, "A few billion. And all of us in need of corpses."

The once still bodies began to move and walk towards them.

Talia looks to Gwyneth before running over to Rose.

Mr. Sneed walks towards Gwyneth, "Gwyneth, stop this. Listen to your master. This has gone far enough. Stop dabbling, child, and leave these things alone, I beg of you."

"Mr. Sneed, get back!" Rose yells to him.

Talia could only watch in shock as one of the bodies walks up behind Mr. Sneed and snaps his neck, then once of the Gelth flies into his mouth.

"Oh my lanta," Talia breaths out.

"I think it's gone a little bit wrong." The Doctor said as he, Talia, and Rose back away from the approaching Gelth.

"Just a bit." Talia replied.

"I have joined the legions of the Gelth. Come, march with us." Came Mr. Sneeds voice.

"Don't really fancy marching." Talia said while backing up against a metal gate.

"We need bodies. All of you. Dead. The human race. Dead."

"Gwyneth, stop them! Send them back now!" The Doctor yells to Gwyneth.

"Three more bodies. Convert them. Make them vessels for the Gelth." The red Gelth said.

The Doctor and Rose stand back against the metal gate as Charles runs to the door before looking back, "Doctor, I can't. I'm sorry. This new world of yours is too much for me. I'm so..."

Charles runs out and the Doctor grabs Talia's and Rose's hands and pulls them behind the metal gate before the Gelth can reach them, but they were now cornered with only the gate keeping them safe.

"Give yourself to glory. Sacrifice your lives for the Gelth." The Gelth chanted.

The Doctor is visibly upset, "I trusted you. I pitied you!"

"We don't want your pity. We want this world and all it's flesh."

"Not while I'm alive."

"Then live no more."

Talia closes her eyes as Rose gasps, "But I can't die. Tell me I can't. Talia and I haven't even been born yet. It's impossible for us to die. Isn't it?"

Talia knew the answer as she looked into the Doctor's sad eyes.

"I'm sorry."

Talia smiles sadly at him.

"But it's 1869. How can we die now?"

"Time isn't a straight line. It can twist into any shape. You can be born in the twentieth century and die in the nineteenth and it's all my fault. I brought you two here.

"It's not your fault. I wanted to come."

"I wanted to come as well, we knew it would be dangerous." Talia said while smiling at the Doctor.

"What about me? I saw the fall of Troy, World War Five. I pushed boxes at the Boston Tea Party. Now I'm going to die in a dungeon in Cardiff."

Talia frowns when she realized what would happen when they die.

Rose said it aloud, "It's not just dying. We'll become one of them."

Talia shivers at picturing another being inhabiting her body.

"We'll go down fighting, yeah?" Rose said.

"Definitely," Talia smiled.

"Yeah." The Doctor agreed.

"Together?" Rose asked.

"Yeah." The Doctor and Talia said together.

The Doctor grabs both of their hands and smiles at them.

"I'm so glad I met the two of you."

"Me too."

"Me three." Talia grinned and she felt butterflies swirl in her stomach as he smiled at her.

They all three looked in shock to the main door as Charles runs in wtih a cloth over his mouth, "Doctor! Doctor! Turn off the flame, turn up the gas! Now, fill the room, all of it, now!" Charles runs to the lamps and turns the gas up and the flames off.

"What're you doing?" The Doctor asked him.

"Turn it all on. Flood the place!" Charles muffled voice came through the cloth.

The Doctor grinned, "Brilliant. Gas."

"What, so we choke to death instead?" Rose said.

"But it's brilliant," Talia said with a grin.

Charles looked to the Doctor, "Am I correct, Doctor? These creatures are gaseous."

"Fill the room with gas, it'll draw them out of the host. Suck them into the air like poison from a wound!"

"Be careful, Charles," Talia calls out as the Gelth move away from the gate and start moving to him.

He looks wide eyed at the bodies, "I hope, oh Lord, I hope that this theory will be validated soon, if not immediately."

"Plenty more!" The Doctor said as he wrips a gas pipe from the wall.

The Gelth scream and the blue gaseous bodies are pulled from the corpses.

"It's working." Charles said with relief.

The Doctor, Talia and Rose come out from behind the gate and they run to Gwyneth.

"Gwyneth, send them back. They lied. They're not angels." The Doctor said to her.

Her pale face looked in the Doctors direction, "Liars?"

"Yes, liars." Talia said with a hopeful smile as she held back a cough.

"Look at me. If your mother and father could look down and see this, they'd tell you the same. They'd give you the strength. Now send them back!"

Rose coughed, "I can't breathe."

Talia looks worriedly to Rose before looking back at Gwyneth.

"Charles, get them out."

"No!"

"I'm not leaving her." Rose agreed.

Gwyenth whimpered, "They're too strong."

Talia felt tears in her eyes and she looks at Gwyneth.

"Remember that world you saw? Rose and Talia's world? All those people. None of it will exist unless you send them back through the rift."

"I can't send them back. But I can hold them. Hold them in this place, hold them here. Get out." Gwyneth puls a box of matches out of the pocket of her apron.

"No!" Talia cried out.

"You can't!"

"Leave this place!" Gwyneth looks to Talia, "Leave."

"Rose, Talia, get out. Go now. I won't leave her while she's still in danger. Now go!"

Talia looks at Gwyneth one more time before nodding and grabbing Rose's hand, pulling her out with Charles following behind.

"We can't just leave," Rose gasped out.

Talia coughed, "We can barely breathe, Rose, the Doctor will save her."

"This way!" Charles said, taking the lead.

They made it outside and stop in the street, looking back for any sign of the Doctor or Gwyneth.

Talia smiles when she sees the Doctor but it turns into a frown when she doesn't see Gwyneth anywhere.

She was about to yell out when the house blows up.

 _BOOM!_

Talia stares wide eyed at the rubble as the Doctor walks over to them.

"She didn't make it." Rose said quielty.

The Doctor looks at Talia, "I'm sorry. She closed the rift."

"At such a cost. The poor child." Charles bowed his head sadly.

"I did try, Talia, Rose, but Gwyneth was already dead. She had been for at least five minutes."

Tears came to Talia's eyes but she swallowed the lump in her throat, she wouldn't cry here.

"What do you mean?" Rose asked, walking to Talia and taking her hand.

"I think she was dead from the minute she stood in that arch."

"But she can't have. She spoke to us. She helped us. She saved us. How could she have done that?" Rose denied.

"There are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy. Even for you, Doctor."

"She saved the world. A servant girl." Rose said.

"And no one will ever know." Talia finished.

All four of them walked to the Tardis in silence until they reached the doors.

"Right then, Charlie boy, I've just got to go into my, er, shed. Won't be long." The Doctor walked insde the Tardis, shutting the door behind him.

Rose looked at the quiet Talia before looking at Charles, "What are you going to do now?"

Charles smiled, "I shall take the mail coach back to London, quite literally post-haste. This is no time for me to be on my own. I shall spend Christmas with my family and make amends to them. After all I've learned tonight, there can be nothing more vital."

The Doctor came back outside with a smile, "You've cheered up."

Charles nods, "Exceedingly! This morning, I thought I knew everything in the world. Now I know I've just started. All these huge and wonderful notions, Doctor. I'm inspired. I must write about them."

"Do you think that's wise?" Rose asked.

"I shall be subtle at first. The Mystery of Edwin Drood still lacks an ending. Perhaps the killer was not the boy's uncle. Perhaps he was not of this Earth. The Mystery of Edwin Drood and the Blue Elementals. I can spread the word, tell the truth."

The Doctor grins, "Good luck with it. Nice to meet you. Fantastic."

"Bye, then, and thanks." Rose said as she lets go of Talia's hand and gives Charles a kiss on his cheek.

"Oh, my dear. How modern. Thank you, but, I don't understand. In what way is this goodbye? Where are you going?"

"You'll see. In the shed."

"Upon my soul, Doctor, it's one riddle after another with you. But after all these revelations, there's one mystery you still haven't explained. Answer me this. Who are you?"

"Just a friend passing through."

"But you have such knowledge of future times. I don't wish to impose on you, but I must ask you. My books. Doctor, do they last?"

"Oh, yes!"

"For how long?"

"Forever. Right. Shed. Come on, Rose, Talia."

"In the box? The three of you?

"Down boy. See you."

Rose and the Doctor walk into the Tardis as Talia walks over to Charles and gives him a hug, "It was lovely meeting you, depsite the circumstances. Thank you for helping pull Rose out of there, that means more to me than you think. I've never really read one of your books before, but I can say that now I will definitely read them. Thank you again for all of your help."

Charles smiled sadly at her, "You are very welcome my dear. And don't keep it inside of you, find a nice quiet place."

Talia smiled sadly and nodded, "Goodbye, Mr. Dickens."

"Just Charles to you three. Goodbye, Talia."

Talia walked into the Tardis and walks over to the console where the Doctor and Rose were waiting, once again getting shocker as she placed her hands on it.

"Let's give him one last surprise." The Doctor said with a large grin.

They all three watched the screen where Charles face was displayed as they dematerialized in front of him. His happy but shocked face etched into Talia's mind.

When the Tardis stopped whirring, Rose yawned, "Where are we?"

The Doctor turned around and leaned against the console, "We are currently floating around space. We've done quite a bit of running, thought you two may like to sleep."

Talia nodded eagerly.

"Just go down the hallway, turn right, then take the third left and the Tardis will have two rooms set up for the both of you."

Talia gave the Doctor a quick hug and then grabbed Rose's hand and ran down the hall with a "Thank you!"

"Tired?" Rose asked.

"Exhausted."

They came to two unmarked doors and they each chose one of the doors and walked in.

Talia ignored everything as she walked straight to the queen size bed and collapsed onto it. It only took a second before the tears came and she began to sob into her pillow.

She wasn't sure how long she cried before Rose joined her and pulled her into a hug. Talia cried on her shoulder and felt Rose's own tears wetting her shoulder.

"It's okay," Rose whispered to her.

"But it's not," Talia cried. "I had one of those feelings, and Gwyneth even felt it. She believed that everything will be fine, she wanted to believe in her angels. And now she's dead. I didn't do anything to stop her."

"It was her decision, adn no matter how against it I was, it was her decision."

"I know, she was just so young. She hadn't even gotten the courage to tell her crush she liked him. She will miss out on so much."

Rose gave Talia one more squeeze before she pulled away and looked Talia in the eyes, "But she had Mr. Sneed. As much as I didn't like him, he was family to her. And she got to meet us, we're pretty great."

Talia laughed and wiped off her face, "That's true."

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment before Rose spoke, "Put's things in perspective though."

"It does." Talia agreed.

"You never know when your last day will be so you should make the most out of each day that you live."

Talia sighed, "Maybe you should call your mum."

Rose shook her head, "Maybe the Doctor wouldn't mind stopping by so we can grab some stuff."

Talia yawned and laid down, "That would be nice to be able to wear some clean jeans." She looked down at the now dirty blue dress and sighed, "I'm to lazy to change."

Rose pointed down to her own dress before laying next to Taila, "Me too."

"I'm tired."

"Me too."

"Want to stay in here tonight?" Talia asked, her eyes closing.

Rose yawned, "Yes, thank you. I don't think I have the energy to walk into the other room. Goodnight, Lia."

"Goodnight, Rosie."

 **Alytiger: Thank you so much! It's my first OC so I'm super nervous! I appreciate words of encouragement more than I can say! And Talia will stay with the Doctor when Rose gets stuck on the other side. If y'all like my story enough then I want to continue it for as long as I can!**

 **time-twilight: It'll be way later that Talia will admit feelings or the Doctor will find out. Because Talia cares for Rose more than she does herself. And Talia may be a 'or something' ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**It's taken me awhile but here is Chapter Four, finally! R &R to let me know what you think! I'll try to post the next chapter within the next week or so! Have a great weekend y'all!**

Chapter Four

Talia sat in her bedroom waiting for Rose to come get her, today they were going back to their own time and say hello to Jackie and get a few sets of their own clothes.

It had been about four days since they had left 1869 and Talia was feeling a lot better after her breakdown with Rose.

Talia leaned back on a shelf beside the bed and winced as she felt a slight shock.

"Why do you shock me?" Talia asked as she stared at the ceiling.

Clunk

She turned as she felt and heard something in the drawer behind her. She opened the drawer and grinned, the Tardis had given her a taser.

"Thank you!" She said to the ceiling before there was a knock on the door.

"Talia?" Rose's voice came from the other side.

"Coming!"

Talia walked out of the room, pocketing the taser.

"Finally!" Rose said when she saw Talia.

Talia rolled her eyes, "I did not take that long."

Rose laughed, "Come on, we get to go see my mum."

"You can go see your mum, I'll hang out here while you do."

The walked to the console room and smiled at the Doctor who was doing something with his sonic.

When he saw them he grinned, "Took you two long enough."

Talia smiled, "Sorry."

The Doctor pressed the buttons and pulled a lever and the girls hung onto the console as the The Tardis jerked to a stop and Talia and Rose ran to the door and outside. Talia smiled as she looked around the buildings of her own time.

They were here, in twenty-first century London, just a block or two away from the Tyler flat.

"How long have we been gone?" Rose asked as the Doctor stepped out.

"About twelve hours." He responded as he leaned against the Tardis doors.

"Twelve hours? Really?" Talia asked, surprised.

"Really." He said with a grin.

Rose smiled, "Oh. Right, I won't be long. I just want to see my mum."

"What're you going to tell her?" The Doctor asked.

"I don't know. I've been to the year 5 billion and only been gone, what, twelve hours? No, I'll just tell her I spent the night at Shareen's. See you later. Oh, don't you disappear."

"He won't, Rose. I'm just hang out here. Tell your mum I say hello."

"I will." Rose responded with a smile. Then with a wave she was running towards her mother's flat.

Talia watched as the Doctor kicks some trash and then quickly walk to a light pole, looking at the paper attached to it.

"What is that, Doctor?" Talia asked as she walked over. Her eyes widened when she saw what was typed onto the paper.

Rose Tyler and Talia Josephs - Missing. Police Appeal for Assistance. Can You Help?

"Oh my lanta, we've been gone a year!"

Talia and the Doctor both turned and ran to the Tyler flat. When they reached the door the ran right in and Talia breathlessly looked at Jackie who hugging Rose and staring at her with wide eyes.

"It's not twelve hours, it's twelve months. You two have been gone a whole year. Sorry."

"Talia?"

"Hello," Talia waved as Jackie ran over and pulled her into a hug.

Jackie then pulled out her phone and pointed to the couch, "You three, sit."

Talia and Rose obediently sat down as Jackie called a policeman and they waited in awkward silence with Jackie staring at them until he showed up.

When he arrived, Jackie sat the policeman into the chair as he began to question them, but none of the answers were what Jackie wanted to hear.

"The hours I've sat here, days and weeks and months, all on my own. I thought you two were dead, and where were you? Traveling. What the hell does that mean, traveling? That's no sort of answer. You ask them. Neither of them will tell me. That's all they say. Travelling."

"That's what we were doing." Rose said honestly.

"Really Jackie, we were traveling." Talia said as she looked at Rose's mom.

"When your passport's still in the drawer, Rose? Yours is still in the guest bedroom as well, Talia. It's just one lie after another."

"I meant to phone. I really did. I just I forgot." Rose and Talia both looked down.

"What, for a year? You forgot for a year? And I am left sitting here. I just don't believe you. Why won't you tell me where you've been?"

The Doctor stepped forward, "Actually, it's my fault. I sort of er, employed Rose and Talia as my companions."

The policeman looked at the Doctor, "When you say companion, is this a sexual relationship?"

"No!" Talia, Rose and the Doctor all said at the same time, a large blush staining Talia's cheeks.

Jackie walked over to the Doctor and glared at him, "Then what is it? Because you, you waltz in here all charm and smiles, and the next thing I know, they vanished off the face of the Earth! How old are you then? Forty? Forty five? What, did you find them on the Internet? Did you go online and pretend you're a doctor?"

"I am a Doctor."

"Prove it. Stitch this, mate!" Jackie raised her hand and slapped the Doctor in the face and then escorted the policeman out of the flat and then walked into the kitchen, leaving the Doctor and Talia to stand in shock as Rose followed after her mother.

Talia sighed, "Are you okay?"

The Doctor nods, "Too domestic for me."

Talia shakes her head with a smile, "Sometimes domestics aren't bad."

"You have anyone you need to assure you're alive?" The Doctor asked her.

Talia shook her head, "Like I said before, Rose is the only family I have now. Both of my parents were killed about four years ago in a robbery and I've been on my own since. Jackie is great, but Rose is the sister I never had. So no, the only people who would care are right here."

The Doctor stared at her for a moment before grinning as Rose walked out of the kitchen, with teary eyes, and motioned them to follow her out the front door.

They walk up to the roof and look out over the city.

Rose sighed, "I can't tell her. I can't even begin. She's never going to forgive me. And we missed a year. Was it good?"

"Middling." He responded.

"You're so useless."

"Well, if it's this much trouble, are you two going to stay here now?"

Talia hesitated before speaking, "I'm not staying. We've seen some pretty amazing things and I don't want that to end."

Rose looked at Talia before she sighed, "I don't know. I can't do that to her again, though."

The Doctor grimaced, "Well, she's not coming with us."

"Oh that would be awful," Talia said with a laugh.

"No chance." Rose agreed.

"I don't do families."

"She slapped you!"

Talia stifled her laugh as she recalled the slightly shocked look on the Doctor's face.

He put a hand on his cheek and it looked like he was pouting, "Nine hundred years of time and space, and I've never been slapped by someone's mother."

"Your face." Rose and Talia laughed.

"It hurt!"

"You're so gay. When you say nine hundred years?" Rose asked.

"That's my age." He said while looking between the girls.

"You're nine hundred years old."

"Yeah."

"You look pretty good for being so old," Talia said with her smile still on her face.

Rose sighed again, "My mum was right. That is one hell of an age gap. Every conversation with you just goes mental. There's no one else I can talk to besides Talia. We've seen all that stuff up there, the size of it, and we can't say a word. Aliens and spaceships and things, and we're the only people on planet Earth who know they exist."

Talia nodded and they all turned around and stared at the sky in shock as a loud horn sounded and a spaceship sflies over them with black smoke trailing behind it. It flies over London before hitting Big Ben before crashing into the Thames.

"Oh, no way." Talia breathed out.

"Oh, that's just not fair." Rose pouted.

The Doctor grins and Talia and Rose couldn't help but grin back as they all three took of down the stairs and down the street in the direction of the crash.

Soon they were stopped by the roadblocks, not able to get any closer.

"It's blocked off." The Doctor pointed out as he looked over the heads of the other people.

"There is no way we will be able to see it." Talia said as she watched the military officials guarding the street.

"We're miles from the centre. The city must be grid locked. The whole of London must be closing down."

The Doctor laughs, "I know. I can't believe I'm here to see this. This is fantastic!"

"Did you know this was going to happen?" Talia asked him.

"Nope."

"Do you recognise the ship?" Rose asked.

"Nope."

Rose and Talia exchanged amused smiles, "Do you know why it crashed?

"Nope."

"Oh, I'm so glad I've got you."

"Me too."

"I bet you two are. This is what I travel for, Rose, Talia. To see history happening right in front of us."

"It's amazing."

"Well, let's go and see it. Never mind the traffic, we've got the Tardis."

Talia nodded and looked at the Doctor.

"Better not. They've already got one spaceship in the middle of London. I don't want to shove another one on top."

"Yeah, but yours looks like a big blue box. No one's going to notice." Rose said as she looked around.

"You'd be surprised. Emergency like this, there'll be all kinds of people watching. Trust me. The Tardis stays where it is."

"So history's happening and we're stuck here."Rose frowned.

Talia looked at some of the people trying to get past them as the Doctor nodded, "Yes, we are."

"It's got to be Ken Livingstone, hasn't it." A man said as he passed them.

"We could always do what everybody else does." Talia said as she smiled at the Doctor.

"We could watch it on TV." Rose added.

The Doctor grinned and grabbed their hands and they all began running back to the Tyler flat.

0o0o0o0o0

Talia sat on Jackie's couch as the Doctor and Rose sat in the two chairs in the living room, watching the news while Jackie's friend Ru Chan talked to Jackie behind them.

"Big Ben destroyed as a UFO crash lands in Central London. Police reinforcements are drafted in from across the country to control widespread panic, looting and civil disturbance. A state of national emergency has been declared. Tom Hitchinson is at the scene."

"The police are urging the public not to panic. There's a help line number on screen right now if you're worried about friends or family."

The Doctor grabbed the remote and turned it to another news channel.

"The military are on the lookout for more spaceships. Until then, all flights in North American air space have been grounded."

The Doctor switched it back to the previous channel and Talia sighed.

"The army are sending divers into the wreck of the spaceship. No one knows what they're going to find."

The Doctor only watched it for a moment before switching the channel again.

"The President will address the nation live from the White House, but the Secretary General has asked that people watch the skies."

Talia smiles at Jackie as she hands Talia a cup of tea and then looks back to the Doctor.

"I've got no choice." Jackie said to Ru.

Talia tilted her head to look at the two older women as Jackie hands Rose a cup of tea as well.

Ru looked at Rose with a frown, "You've broken your mother's heart."

"I'm not going to make him welcome." Jackie said as she sat next to her friend.

"Jackie!" Talia groaned.

"I cradled her like a child."

The Doctor turned around to look at the two women "Oi, I'm trying to listen."

"His current whereabouts. News is just coming in. We can go to Tom at the Embankment."

"They've found a body. It's unconfirmed, but I'm being told a body has been found in the wreckage. A body of non-terrestrial origins. It's being brought ashore."

Hours seemed to pass by in a blink as the Doctor watched the tv and more people began to show up in Jackie's small flat, ready to welcome Talia and Rose back.

"A body of some sort has been found inside the wreckage of the spacecraft."

Jackie sat next to Talia on the couch and grinned as she looked at her friends, "Oh, guess who asked me out. Billy Crewe."

"Oh Billy Crewe is a nutter, Jackie. You could do so much better." Talia said without glancing away from the television.

"Brought to the nearest shore. Unconfirmed reports say that the body is of extraterrestrial origin. An extraordinary event unfolding here live here in Central London. The body is being transferred to a secure unit mortuary, the whereabouts is yet unknown. The roads in Central London are being-"

The Doctor changes the channel again but it's now a cooking channel showing people how to make an alien cake and Talia sighs.

"And when you've stuck your fins on, you can cover the whole lot in buttercream."

Talia looked away from the TV to a little kid who was eyeing the Doctor. Talia smiles at the kid when he looks at her and she motions the kid over to the Doctor. The kid grins widely and walks over to the Doctor. Talia had to hide her laugh as the kid jumps into the Doctor's lap without permission and tried to grab the remote from him.

"Oh, look at that. Then ice it any colour you want. Here's one I made a little bit earlier. And look at that, your very own spaceship ready to eat. And for something a little extra special-"

The Doctor finally pulls the remote away from the kid and looks at Talia with a raised eyebrow. She just shrugs and smiles at him and then turns back to the TV as he switches the channel once again.

"-Albion Hospital. We still don't know whether it's alive or dead. Whitehall is denying everything. But the body has been brought here, Albion Hospital. The road's closed off. It's the closest to the river."

The Doctor sat the kid back on the floor and motioned the kid away, "Go on."

"I'm being told that General Asquith is now entering the hospital. The building's been evacuated. The patients have been moved out onto the streets. The police still won't confirm the presence of an alien body contained inside those walls."

Talia stands and walks into the kitchen with her now empty mug and leans against the counter as Rose comes in behind her.

"It's a bit insane isn't it?"

Talia looks to Rose who was putting her empty mug in the sink.

"What's insane?" Talia asks her.

"Just a few hours ago I thought that my mum would think me a nutter if I told her we'd been traveling with an alien, and now they've pulled one out of a spaceship that crashed into the Thames."

Talia toyed with the taser in her pocket and nodded, "Maybe we were meant to show up now."

"What do you mean?"

Talia shrugged, "Either the Doctor drives horribly or for some reason we were meant to be here at this exact time to witness this."

"You got a feeling?"

Talia shrugged, "Not sure what will happen but something is wrong though."

Rose walked to Talia and gave her a hug, "Well if we were meant to be here then maybe the Doctor was meant to see what is happening."

"I may see some running and more hiding in our future." Talia said with a smile.

Rose laughed, "I could've told you that! I figured that as soon as we said yes to traveling with an alien."

Talia and Rose laughed with each other before Talia groans, "Ready to watch the news again?"

"Not really, never thought I'd hate the thought of sitting in front of the telly."

Talia laughs, "Come on Rosie."

0o0o0o0o0

So they sat in front of the TV, ignoring Jackie's friends yammering behind them and followed the events that were taking place outside of the Tyler flat.

FInally Talia saw the Doctor stand up and walk out of the flat. She elbowed Rose and pointed to where the Doctor walked out. Rose nodded at her and they both stood up and followed the Doctor outside.

"Oi!" Talia said as they door closed behind them.

"And where do you think you're going?" Rose asked the Doctor as they caught up to him.

The Doctor smiled at them, "Nowhere. It's just a bit human in there for me. History just happened and they're talking about where you can buy dodgy top-up cards for half price. I'm off on a wander, that's all."

Rose and Talia shared a look before they both looked back at the Doctor.

"Right." They both said together, but Rose continued, "There's a spaceship on the Thames and you're just wandering."

The Doctor shrugged, "Nothing to do with me. It's not an invasion. That was a genuine crash landing. Angle of descent, colour of smoke, everything. It's perfect."

"So?" Talia and Rose said together.

"So maybe this is it. First contact. The day mankind officially comes into contact with an alien race. I'm not interfering because you've got to handle this on your own. That's when the human race finally grows up. Just this morning you were all tiny and small and made of clay. Now you can expand."

So he wants a front row seat to watch?

"You don't need me. Go and celebrate history. Spend some time with your mum, Rose."

"And I'm supposed to listen to the dodgy top-up card talk?"

"Sounds good to me!" He said with a grin.

Talia mock glared at him, "Fine, leave me to suffer."

The Doctor just smiled and then looked to Rose, who looked worried.

"Promise you won't disappear?"

The Doctor nods and pulls out two keys from his pocket and hands one to each of them, "Tell you what. Tardis key. It's about time you both had one. See you later." And then he ran off.

"He'll be back, right?" Rose asked.

Talia nodded confidently, squeezing her Tardis key, "He wouldn't just leave us here, not after he gave us both a key."

Rose sighs and nods, "Thank you, Talia."

Talia looked at Rose for a moment before nodding, "What are friends for?"

"What are sisters for. Now let's head back inside before mum comes out."

Talia walked back inside with Rose following behind her and sat back down on the couch while Rose sat in the chair the Doctor had been sitting in. Jackie and her guests didn't seem to notice that they had stepped out for a few minutes.

So they sat there and watched the news while the Doctor was out doing who knows what.

Time passed and Jackie eventually pulls out more alcohol and starts handing out glasses to all of the adults.

"Here's to the Martians!" Jackie shouts.

Everyone raises their glasses, "The Martians!"

Talia and Rose just sat, not toasting and continued watching the news.

"Crisis, with no head of state. Since the Royal Family have been evacuated-"

Talia turns as everyone stops talking and she sees Mickey in the entryway just staring at Rose as if she was a ghost.

"Mickey." Talia said as Mickey continued to stare at Rose.

Rose stands up and looks at Mickey in shock, "I was going to come and see you."

"Someone owes Mickey an apology." Ru said, Talia looked at her but noticed that Ru was staring at Jackie as she spoke.

"I'm sorry." Rose said as Ru stopped talking.

"Not you." Ru said as she glared at Jackie.

"Well, it's not my fault. Be fair. What was I supposed to think?" Jackie said loudly.

"Designate, though she insists this was a matter for the electorate."

Rose walked to Mickey and grabbed his hand then pulled him into the kitchen.

Jackie watched them for a moment before following. Talia sighs and stands up and follows Jackie into the kitchen to try and keep the peace if things got out of hand.

"You knew about the Doctor? Why didn't you tell me?" Talia heard Jackie say as she walked in and shut the door behind her.

Mickey notices Talia standing behind Jackie and closes the serving hatch.

"Yeah, yeah. Why not, Rose? Talia? Huh? How could I tell her where you went?"

Jackie turns around and looks at Talia then back at Mickey, "Tell me now."

"I might as well, cause you're both stuck here. The Doctor's gone. Just now. That box thing just faded away."

"What?" Talia looked wide eyed at Rose.

"What do you mean?" Rose asked Mickey, obviously trying to stay calm.

"He's left you, both of you. Some boyfriend he turned out to be, huh Rose."

Talia turns and runs out of the Tyler flat and out to the street where they had landed.

"No," Talia whispers as she sees the empty space the Tardis had occupied only hours before. She reaches into her pocket and grasps the key the Doctor had given her.

"He wouldn't just go, he promised me. Us." Rose said as she looked around.

"Oh, he's dumped you, Rose. Sailed off into space. How does it feel, huh? Now you are left behind with the rest of us Earthlings. Get used to it." Mickey said, ignoring Talia.

"He would have said." Rose whispered.

"What're you three chimps going on about? What's going on? What's this Doctor done now?" Jackie asked. Talia hadn't noticed Jackie had followed them out.

"Ho, ho, ho. He's vamoosed." Mickey said.

"Shut up Mickey!" Talia growled at him. Yes, they had disappeared with the Doctor but Mickey didn't have to be rude.

Mickey just glanced at Talia before looking back to Rose who was shaking her head.

"He's not, because he gave me this. He's not my boyfriend, Mickey. He's better than that. He's much more important than-"

Rose and Talia both gasp at the same time as their Tardis keys began to glow and the familiar whirring echoed around them.

"I said so." Rose whispered loud enough for Talia to hear her before Rose turned to her mother, "Mum! Mum, go inside. Mum, don't stand there, just go inside. Just, Mum, go. Oh, blimey."

"Please go inside Jackie." Talia tried, but it was too late.

The Tardis materialized in front of them and Jackie looked on in shock.

"Huh?"

"How'd you do that, then?" Jackie asked.

Talia ran inside the Tardis, closely followed by Rose, and they ran to the Doctor who stood at the console.

"Alright, so I lied. I went and had a look. But the whole crash landing's a fake. I thought so. Just too perfect. I mean, hitting Big Ben. Come on, so I thought let's go and have a look-"

"Doctor."

"My mum's here."

The Doctor rolled his eyes, "Oh, that's just what I need. Don't you dare make this place domestic."

"Doctor,-" Talia began to say but she was cut off as MIckey got angry when he walks in and pointed his finger at the Doctor.

"You ruined my life, Doctor. They thought she was dead. I was a murder suspect because of you."

The Doctor looks at Mickey for a moment before giving a glance to both Talia and Rose, "You see what I mean? Domestic."

Talia laughs a little which makes Mickey turn his glare on her before looking back at the Doctor.

"I bet you don't even remember my name."

"Ricky." The Doctor answers immediately.

Mickey glare seemed to harden, "It's Mickey."

"No, it's Ricky." The Doctor responded.

"Mickey, please stop." Talia said as she walked over to him.

"No Talia, and I think I know my own name."

"You think you know your own name? How stupid are you?"

Talia groaned and Jackie looked between all of them before she ran out of the Tardis.

Rose looked at her fleeing mom before looking between the Doctor and Mickey, "Mum, don't! Don't go anywhere. Don't start a fight!"

Talia glanced between the two men who were now staring at each other, "You two need to try to get along."

The Doctor rolled his eyes and walked back to the console as Rose walked back into the Tardis.

Rose waited a moment before saying, "That was a real spaceship."

The Doctor nodded, "Yep."

Talia walked over to the Doctor with Mickey following behind her, "Really?"

"So it's all a pack of lies? What is it, then? Are they invading?"

"Funny way to invade, putting the world on red alert."

The Doctor looked at Mickey and nodded, "Good point! So, what're they up to?"

The Doctor jumped under the grating and began working with some wires.

"So, what're you doing down there?" Mickey asked him.

"Ricky."

"Mickey." Mickey and Talia said together.

"Ricky. If I was to tell you what I was doing to the controls of my frankly magnificent time ship, would you even begin to understand?"

"I suppose not." Mickey admitted.

"Well, shut it, then."

Talia frowned, "That's rude."

Mickey looked at Rose, not impressed, "Some friend you've got."

Talia winced as Rose responded, "He's winding you up. I am sorry."

Talia realized this may be a personal conversation so she quietly moved away from the couple.

She walked to where the Doctor was tinkering and he glanced up at her.

"Domestics?"

Talia nodded, "Domestics. Don't want to get involved with it."

The Doctor chuckled, "Figured."

"It's their relationship they're talking about. That's none of my business."

The Doctor didn't respond but laughed and jumped up, "Got it! Ha, ha! Patched in the radar, looped it back twelve hours so we can follow the flight of that spaceship. Here we go. Hold on. Come on."

Talia, Rose and the Doctor crowd around the screen as it shows where the spaceship came from.

"That's the spaceship on its way to Earth, see? Except. Hold on. See? The spaceship did a sling shot round the Earth before it landed."

"No way," Talia whispered.

"What does that mean?" Rose asked.

The Doctor looked between them, "It means it came from Earth in the first place. It went up and came back down. Whoever those aliens are, they haven't just arrived, they've been here for a while. The question is, what have they been doing?"

Talia looked at the screen and her gut twisted as it shows what path the spaceship took for it to land in the Thames. She walks away and leans against one of the metal pillars, earning herself a small shock.

She looks up to see Rose and Mickey going through different channels on the monitor.

"How many channels do you get?" Mickey asked the Doctor.

"All the basic packages." He responded while pulling things from the console.

"You get sports channels?"

Talia rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I get the football." The Doctor looked at the screen as he recognizes someone, "Hold on, I know that lot."

"It is looking likely that the Government's bringing in alien specialists - those people who have devoted their lives to studying outer space."

The Doctor nodded, "UNIT. United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. Good people."

Rose looked away from the screen, "How do you know them?"

"Cause he's worked for them. Oh yeah, don't think I sat on my backside for twelve months, Doctor. I read up on you. You look deep enough on the Internet or in the history books, and there's his name, followed by a list of the dead."

Talia jumped up, "Don't blame the dead on the Doctor!"

The Doctor looked at Talla with an unreadable expression then looked back at Mickey, "That's nice. Good boy, Ricky."

Rose stared at Talia a moment before asking the Doctor, "If you know them, why don't you go and help?"

"They wouldn't recognise me. I've changed a lot since the old days. Besides, the world's on a knife-edge. There's aliens out there and fake aliens. We want to keep this alien out of the mix. I'm going undercover. And er, I'd better keep the Tardis out of sight. Ricky, you've got a car. You can do some driving."

"Where to?" Mickey asked.

The Doctor grinned, "The roads are clearing. Let's go and have a look at that spaceship."

Talia, Rose and Mickey followed the Doctor to the Tardis doors and we greeted by a bright spotlight and police vehicles surrounding them when they walked out.

"Do not move! Step away from the box and raise your hands above your heads."

Talia raises her hands quickly and glares at Mickey as he runs off and hides.

"I so hate him right now, Rose."

Rose nodded in agreement.

"Rose!"

Talia looks to see Jackie being held back by one of the officers.

"Rose!"

"Raise your hands above your head. You are under arrest." Another of the officers said as he walked towards them.

The Doctor grins, "Take me to your leader."

Talia couldn't hold back the laugh that bubbled up as they were all three grabbed and put into a police car.

Rose looked around the back of the comfortable police car,"This is a bit posh. If I knew it was going to be like this, being arrested, I would have done it years ago."

Talia laughed, "You still wouldn't have tried."

"We're not being arrested, we're being escorted."

"Escorted?" Talia asked while looking out the window.

"Where to?"

The Doctor grinned at them, "Where'd you think? Downing Street."

Rose and Talia shared an excited look before they spoke together, "You're kidding."

"I'm not."

"10 Downing Street?" Talia asked.

"That's the one." He nodded.

"Oh my lanta!" Talia laughed out.

Rose laughed with her, "We're going to 10 Downing Street? How come?"

"I hate to say it, but Mickey was right. Over the years I've visited this planet a lot of times, and I've been, er, noticed."

"Noticed?" Talia raised an eyebrow.

Rose nodded, "Now they need you?"

"Like it said on the news. They're gathering experts in alien knowledge. And who's the biggest expert of the lot?" The Doctor looked smug.

"Patrick Moore?"

Talia burst out laughing at the Doctor mock glared at her.

"Apart from him."

"Oh, don't you just love it." Rose said with a wide smile.

"I'm telling you. Lloyd George, he used to drink me under the table. Who's the Prime Minister now?"

Talia shrugged as Rose answered, "How should we know? We missed a year."

Talia looked back out the window as they approached Downing Street and she wiggled in her seat seeing all of the cameras flashing.

The Doctor nodded at them and all three of them got out of the car, the Doctor waving at the flashing cameras.

"Oh, my God." Rose said into Talia's ear as they held onto each others arms.

"I know! Let's just get inside please," Talia responded, uncomfortable with all of the people looking at them.

The Doctor walked inside 10 Downing Street, leaving Talia and Rose behind. They shared a look and then walked in together, quickly catching up with the Doctor.

They were ushered into the waiting room where other people were waiting to be let into the conference room.

"Ladies and gentlemen, can we convene? Quick as we can, please. It's this way on the right, and can I remind you ID cards are to be worn at all times."

The man who spoke walks over to the Doctor and hands him an ID card.

"Here's your ID card. I'm sorry, your companions don't have clearance."

Talia looked at Rose as fear gripped her gut.

"I don't go anywhere without them." The Doctor told the man as he slipped the ID card over his head.

"You're the code nine, not either of them. I'm sorry, Doctor. It is the Doctor, isn't it? They'll have to stay outside."

"They're staying with me."

Talia nodded her head, not wanting to go in there alone.

The man looked from Rose to Talia and then sighed, "Look, even I don't have clearance to go in there. I can't let them in and that's a fact."

"It's all right. You go." Rose told the Doctor with a smile.

An older woman walked over and smiled, "Excuse me. Are you the Doctor?"

The Doctor grinned at her, "Sure."

The man looked at the older woman, "Not now. We're busy. Can't you go home?"

Talia frowned at him for being rude.

"I just need a word in private."

Talia looked to the Doctor who looked between the two of his companions and nodded, "I suppose so. Don't get in any trouble."

He started walking away but Talia grabbed his arm, "Doctor, this may sound very strange but be careful. Something isn't right."

He frowned at her, "What do you mean?"

"I just- I have a bad feeling. Just be careful."

He stared at her for a moment longer before he nodded with a large grin, "Right, you and Rose stay out of trouble then!"

"Talia!"

Talia turned around to see that the older woman had Rose by the arm and they were walking out of the room together.

She catches up to them in the hall and the older woman nodded for Talia to follow them.

"That's right. Don't look round." She quickly held up a badge for Talia and Rose to see, "Harriet Jones, MP Flydale North."

She leads them to an empty stairway and moves to face them, completely serious.

"This friend of yours, he's an expert, is that right? He knows about aliens?"

Talia looks at Rose, "Why do you want to know?"

Harriet looked between the two girls before her lip quivered and she began to cry.

Rose patted Harriet's arm and looked to Talia for help. Talia shrugged and pulled Harriet into a hug, waiting until Harriet was able to calm herself down.

"What's wrong?" Talia asked her.

"It will be better to show you. Come."

Harriet lead Talia and Rose into the Cabinet Room and pulls a skin suit out.

Harriet sets it on the table, "They turned the body into a suit. A disguise for the thing inside!"

Talia looked at Harriet with wide eyes as Rose consoled her, "It's all right. I believe you. It's, it's alien. They must have some serious technology behind this. If we could find it, we could use it."

Rose hands Harriet to Talia and begins to search the room. She runs to a cabinet and when she opens a bit body falls out and Rose jumps back with a gasp.

"Oh my!" Talia gasped.

"Is that the-"

Talia ran to the body and felt for a pulse, "There's no pulse."

"Harriet, for God's sake. This has gone beyond a joke. You cannot just wander." The man from before walked into the room and when he saw the body on the carpet he froze, "Oh, my God. That's the Prime Minister!"

Talia stood up to see a heavy set blonde woman walking into the Cabinet Room.

"Oh! Has someone been naughty?" She grinned as she shut the door.

The man looked from the body to the blonde woman, "That's impossible. He left this afternoon. The Prime Minister left Downing Street. He was driven away!"

The woman smiled as she walked closer, and it sent an unpleasant tingle down Talia's spine, "And who told you that, hmm? Me."

Talia stood in front or Rose, watching as the woman reached up to her hairline. Talia knew at that moment that they weren't facing a human woman.

A strange blue light flashes around the room as the woman unzips her forehead. Before their eyes, the skin of the woman starts falling down the body, revealing an alien with a long neck and a baby face with large black eyes. The alien woman stretches out her long arms and her three clawed fingers on each hand.

When the body suit fell to the floor the alien woman then stood eight feet tall and sighed out in happiness.

The alien looks to the man and reaches for him but Talia shoves him out of the way while Rose and Harriet are standing there, shocked.

The alien woman grabs Talia around the neck and lifts her into the air and shoves her against the wall.

"Talia!" Rose yells as she made to move forward but Harriet held her back as the man hid behind them.

Talia looked into the large black eyes of the alien who was choking the life out of her and put her hands around the aliens wrists, trying to move to get some air.

She looked towards Rose and once she saw that Rose was safe, she made her decision. She wouldn't die a coward, she also wanted to go out fighting. And fight she would.


	5. Chapter 5

**Finally an update! It's taken me long enough. I hope you guys enjoy it and leave a review for me!**

Chapter Five

Talia removed one of her hands from the aliens wrists and dig into her pockets until she grabs the taser. She lifts it up and presses it against the aliens long next and pulls the trigger.

The alien immediately let's go of Talia with a shriek and Talia falls to the ground coughing, holding her neck with the taser tightly grasped in her fingers.

"Talia!" Hands wrap around Talia's arms and pulls her away from the enraged alien.

But before the she-alien could approach them, she screeches again and seems to light up, once again, with electricity.

Talia stands, unsteadily, and grabs a hold of Rose's hand, "Run!" She glances back to make sure Harriet and the man are behind her as the run past the alien and out of the door.

Once the reach the corridor, Harriet stops them, "No, wait. They're still in there. The emergency protocols. We need them. "

Talia's eyes widen as she sees the alien coming and grabs Rose's hand again, "We'll get them later! Right now we need to run!" With a yell from Harriet and the man who Talia still didn't know his name, they began to run through the halls.

They ran through many doors and halls, Talia gasping for breath and her throat tingling with pain, until they came upon a door that they couldn't open.

Talia looked back just in time to see the alien being distracted by the Doctor, who was smiling at it from the lift.

Harriet grabbed their arms and pulled them through the open door near them, it led them to another door, which they hurried into. The room was a dead end, the only other door was locked.

"Hide!" Talia and Rose say together.

Talia hides beside a large cabinet against the wall while Rose hides behind a cabinet and Harriet hides behind a folding screen ten feet away and the man hides underneath the couch.

Talia holds her breath and gives Rose a small reassuring smile as she hears the alien enter the room.

"Oh, such fun. Little human children, where are you? Sweet little humeykins, come to me. Let me kiss you better. Kiss you with my big, green lips."

Talia isn't fast enough to stop Rose from getting up and hiding behind a curtain a few feet away.

Talia makes a small noise of protest but then covers her mouth with her shaking hand.

She hears the door open and looks over the cabinet to see two more green aliens enter the room. She quickly ducks back down and curses under her breath, squeezing the taser in her hand.

"My brothers." The she-alien said happily.

"Happy hunting?" One of them asked.

Talia could practically feel the grin, "It's wonderful. The more you prolong it, the more they stink."

"Sweat and fear."

"I can smell an old girl. Stale bird and brittle bones."

"A man in his prime, but too scared to do anything."

"And two ripe youngster, all hormones and adrenalin. Fresh enough to bend before she snaps."

Talia's eyes widen as the she-alien pulls aside the curtain to Rose's hiding place, making the blonde girl scream in fear.

"Leave her alone!" Talia yells, jumping from her own hiding spot, holding the taser in front of her.

The she-alien seems to glare at Talia and takes a step towards her before Harriet jumps out of her hiding place.

"No! Take me first! Take me!"

The Doctor chose that moment to burst into the room, brandishing a fire extinguisher, spraying the aliens.

"Out, with me!"

Rose quickly yanks the curtain over the she-aliens face and grabs Talia's outstretched hand and they run to the Doctor.

The man climbs out from under the couch and hides behind them as Harriet stands beside the Doctor.

"Who the hell are you two?" The Doctor asks when he sees Harriet and the man.

"Indra Ganesh, sir."

"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North."

"Nice to meet you both."

"Likewise." Harriet says as Ganesh just nods.

They notice that the Doctor has run out of CO2 and they all four run out of the room at the same time.

"We need to head to the Cabinet Room." The Doctor says as they run.

"The Emergency Protocols are in there. They give instructions for aliens."

"Harriet Jones, I like you."

"And I like you too."

Talia rolls her eyes as they continue to run, hearing the aliens behind them.

They finally reach the door to the cabinet room and the Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver on it and once the door opens they all quickly enter the room.

Talia leans against the table with a hand on her neck and watches the Doctor grab a decanter before running back to the door just as the aliens arrive.

"One more move and my sonic device will triplicate the flammability of this alcohol. Whoof, we all go up. So back off."

Talia looks at Rose and gets up to stand beside her as Harriet stands on the right side of the Doctor and Ganesh stands behind her.

The aliens back off, staring at the Doctor as he grins.

"Right then. Question time. Who exactly are the Slitheen?"

 _Slitheen?_

"They're aliens."

Talia grins and looks at Harriet just as the Doctor does.

"Yes. I got that, thanks."

"Who are you, if not human?" One of the Slitheen ask.

"Who's not human?" Harriet asks as Ganesh looks at the Doctor.

"He's not human." Rose said while Talia points to the Doctor.

"He's not human?" Harriet asked, shocked.

The Doctor looks back at Harriet, "Can I have a bit of hush?"

Talia rolls her eyes as Harriet apologizes.

The Doctor nods and looks back to the Slitheen, "So, what's the plan?"

Harriet quietly turns to Talia and Rose, "But he's got a Northern accent."

"Lots of planets have a north." Rose answers and Talia just nods her head.

The Doctor looks back at them again for a moment, "I said hush" Then he looks back at the Slitheen while holding up the decanter, "Come on. You've got a spaceship hidden in the North Sea. It's transmitting a signal. You've murdered your way to the top of government. What for, invasion?"

Another Slitheen answered, "Why would we invade this God-forsaken rock?"

"Then something's brought the Slitheen race here. What is it?"

"The Slitheen race?" One of the male Slitheen said.

The other male Slitheen continues, "Slitheen is not our species. Slitheen is our surname. Jocrassa Fel Fotch Pasameer-Day-Slitheen at your service."

Talia raises an eyebrow and looks between the three Slitheen.

"So, you're family."

"A family business." Jocrassa said.

The Doctor nods, "Then you're out to make a profit. How can you do that on a God-forsaken rock?"

"Ah, excuse me? Your device will do what? Triplicate the flammability?"

Talia could see the Doctor's grin as he nods, "Is that what I said?"

"You're making it up." The unidentified male Slitheen said.

"Ah, well! Nice try. Harriet, have a drink. I think you're gonna need it." He holds the alcohol out towards Harriet, who is now clutching a red briefcase.

"You pass it to the left first." She tells him.

"Sorry." The the Doctor passes it to Rose.

"Thanks." Rose says, not taking her eyes off the Slitheen.

"Now we can end this hunt with a slaughter."

Talia tenses and pulls Rose away from the Slitheen as they grind their claws together.

"Don't you think we should run?" Rose asks the Doctor and Talia couldn't help but agree.

But the Doctor ignored Rose, still facing the Slitheen, "Fascinating history, Downing Street. Two thousand years ago, this was marsh land. 1730, it was occupied by a Mister Chicken. He was a nice man. 1796, this was the Cabinet Room. If the Cabinet's in session and in danger, these are about the four most safest walls in the whole of Great Britain. End of lesson."

The Doctor ends his small speech by opening a panel and pressing a button which causes metal shutters to close around the doors and windows.

The Doctor turns to grin at the four humans staring at him, "Installed in 1991. Three inches of steel lining every single wall. They'll never get in."

"And how do we get out?" Rose asks.

"We can't," Talia mutters as she takes a seat.

"Ah." The Doctor said, his grin never fading.

Ganesh sits beside Talia as the Doctor walks around the room, examining the shutters.

"I wanted to say thank you," Ganesh said after a moment of silence.

Talia looked over to see the Doctor watching the two of them, but trying to look like he wasn't.

She looked back at Ganesh, "What are you thanking me for?"

"For saving my life. Margaret was coming for me and you pushed me out of the way." He looks to her neck where she was sure there were bruises forming. "So thank you, I would be dead now if it wasn't for you."

A blush rose to her cheeks, "You wouldn't-" She was going to say that he wouldn't have died but before she could say it, a feeling overcame her body and she knew that if she hadn't gotten in the way the Ganesh would have died. "Anyone would have done the same thing."

Ganesh just shook his head, "No they wouldn't have. Your friend and Ms. Jones were scared stiff and I would have been to if the situation had been reversed. So thank you. I owe you my life."

Talia sat up straight as a tingle shot down her spine as he spoke those words, "Be careful." SHe warned him, "Those words are not to be taken lightly." She paused for a moment before she frowned and shook her head. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me."

Ganesh just smiled and patted her hand, "It's okay, it's been a stressful few hours."

Talia could only nod as Ganesh stood up and went to talk to Harriet as the Doctor opens the door to a store room and sees the body of the last prime minister.

The Doctor looked at the body one more time before shutting the door and looking at the other occupants in the room, "Right, what have we got? Any terminals, anything?"

Ganesh shakes his head, "No there aren't any."

Rose looks around as she stands behind Talia, "This place is antique. What I don't get is, when they killed the Prime Minister, why didn't they use him as a disguise?"

 _Too small._

"He's too slim. They're big old beasts. They need to fit inside big humans."

Talia watches the Doctor walk around the room, running his sonic along the metal shutters as she runs a hand over her throat.

"But the Slitheen are about eight feet. How do they fit inside?" Rose asked.

"That's the device around their necks. Compression field. Literally shrinks them down a bit. That's why there's all that gas. It's a big exchange."

Rose raised an eyebrow, "Wish I had a compression field. I could fit a size smaller."

Talia smiled and shook her head at her blonde friend.

"Excuse me, people are dead! This is not the time for making jokes."

Talia looked into Harriet's serious face and winced, "Sorry."

"Sorry." Rose repeated and then pointed to the Doctor, "You get used to this stuff when you're friends with him."

Harriet frowned, "Well, that's a strange friendship."

"It's not too bad," Talia added.

The Doctor walks over and stands behind Harriet, "Harriet Jones. I've heard that name before. Harriet Jones. You're not famous for anything, are you?"

Harriet scoffs, "Oh, hardly."

"Rings a bell. Harriet Jones?"

"Lifelong backbencher I'm afraid, and a fat lot of use I'm being now. The Protocols are redundant. They list the people who could help and they're all dead downstairs."

Talia winces as Rose bumps into her and she stands up and walks over to Harriet.

"Hasn't it got, like, defence codes and things? Couldn't we just launch a nuclear bomb at them?"

Harriet looked into Rose's eyes, "You're a very violent young woman."

Talia laughed, "You have no idea."

Rose glared at Talia and then looked back at Harriet, "I'm serious. We could."

Ganesh just sat quietly, staring at the wall as Harriet shook her head, "Well, there's nothing like that in here. Nuclear strikes do need a release code, yes, but it's kept secret by the United Nations."

The Doctor stands up straight and looks at Harriet, "Say that again."

"What, about the codes?"

Talia sits up as the Doctor walks next to Harriet.

"Anything. All of it."

"Well, the British Isles can't gain access to atomic weapons without a Special Resolution from the UN."

"Like that's ever stopped them." Rose mutters as Talia nods along.

"Exactly, given our past record. And I voted against that, thank you very much. The codes have been taken out of the government's hands and given to the UN. Is it important?"

Talia looks at the Doctor's face as he gives a serious nod, "Everything's important."

"If we only knew what the Slitheen wanted. Listen to me. I'm saying Slitheen as if it's normal."

"Give it a bit and it will sound normal enough," Talia adds.

"What do they want, though?"

The Doctor begins to walk around as he talks, Talia following him with her eyes, "Well, they're just one family, so it's not an invasion. They don't want Slitheen World They're out to make money. That means they want to use something. Something here on Earth. Some kind of asset."

"Like what, gold? Oil? Water?" Harriet puts in.

He grins at her, "You're very good at this."

"Thank you." Harriet says with a small blush.

"Harriet Jones. Why do I know that name?" The Doctor asks again.

Talia doesn't even look away from him as she responds, "For the future." She jerks back and frowns at herself as the Doctor just stares at her. "Sorry."

A phone beeping pulls the attention away from Talia.

Rose reaches into her pocket, "Oh, that's me."

"But we're sealed off. How did you get a signal?"

Talia grins as she remembers the Doctor fixing Roses phone on their first adventure. Well, their first adventure knowing what they were possibly getting into.

"He zapped it. Super phone."

Harriet looks to the Doctor, excited, "Then we can phone for help. You must have contacts."

He nods, "Dead downstairs, yeah."

Talia looks at Rose who was staring at her phone, "You alright, Rosie?"

"It's Mickey."

Talia stands up and looks at the picture that was displayed on the screen, "Oh."

The Doctor rolls his eyes, "Oh, tell your stupid boyfriend we're busy."

"Yeah, he's not so stupid after all." Rose walks over to the Doctor and hands him the phone, showing the picture of a Slitheen.

Rose takes her phone back and calls Mickey.

Talia sit back as she hears the one sided conversation between Rose and her sort-of boyfriend.

"Is she alright, though?" Rose asks into her phone, "Don't put her on, just tell me."

Talia covers a laugh as the Doctor take the phone out of Rose's hand.

"Is that Ricky? Don't talk, just shut up and go to your computer."

"It's Mickey," Talia says without looking at the Doctor as she looks to the quiet Ganesh, who was now following the Doctor with his eyes.

"You alright?" Talia asks him in concern.

Ganesh looks at Talia for a moment before he sighs, "I never thought I'd be in the middle of something like this. I have no experience in aliens. I'm out of my league."

"Well, to be perfectly honest with you, before a week ago, or well a year ago now for you, I didn't have any experience either. This is a shock to Harriet as well."

"I'm just not as brave as I thought I was."

"I count anyone who hasn't gone raving mad to be brave. Just you wait, this will all be over soon."

"Thank you."

She smiles at him, "No need to thank me."

Talia looks over just as the Doctor was plugging the phone into the speaker system.

"Say again." The Doctor says once he's finished.

"It's asking for the password." Mickey's voice came from the device.

"Buffalo. Two Fs, one L."

There was some talking that was covered by static before Mickey's voice was heard again.

"All the secret information known to mankind. See, they've known about aliens for years. They just kept us in the dark."

"Mickey, you were born in the dark."

"Be nice," Talia said to the Doctor.

"Oh, leave him alone." Rose adds.

Mickey's voice came over the speaker, "Thank you. Password again."

"Just repeat it every time." The Doctor walks to the other side of the table, "Big Ben - why did the Slitheen go and hit Big Ben?

Talia follows with Rose and Harriet beside her, Ganesh sitting down.

"You said to gather the experts, to kill them." Harriet says.

"That lot would've gathered for a weather balloon. You don't need to crash land in the middle of London."

"It makes no sense to bring the alien experts where the aliens are hiding," Talia says as she bites her nail.

Rose nods, "The Slitheen are hiding, but then they put the entire planet on Red alert. What would they do that for?"

"Oh, listen to her." Jackie's voice came through.

"At least I'm trying."

"Well, I've got a question, if you don't mind." Jackie begins.

Talia groans and looks at Rose as Jackie begins her little tirade.

"Since that man walked into our lives, I have been attacked in the streets. I have had creatures from the pits of hell in my own living room, and my daughter disappear off the face of the Earth."

"I told you what happened." Rose says softly.

Talia feels an ache in her chest, knowing that the only person who may be worried for her was in the room standing next to her.

Rose, as if knowing how Talia was feeling, reached out and took Talia's hand with a small smile.

"I'm talking to him." Jackie continues, "Because I've seen this life of yours, Doctor. And maybe you get off on it, and maybe you think it's all clever and smart, but you tell me. Just answer me this. Is my daughter safe?"

"I'm fine." Rose answers.

"Is she safe?" Jackie repeats.

"Jackie.." Talia says.

"Will she always be safe? Can you promise me that? Well, what's the answer?"

Silence only greeted Jackie as Rose, Talia and the Doctor just looked at each other with serious looks on their faces.

Talia offered Rose another smile before pulling her hand away and walking back towards Ganesh.

"We're in." Mickey announced, breaking the silence.

The Doctor nods, leaning over the table with renewed energy, "Now then, on the left at the top, there's a tab, an icon. Little concentric circles. Click on that."

A strange noise begins to come from the speakers as Mickey asks, "What is it?"

"The Slitheen have got a spaceship in the North Sea and it's transmitting that signal. Now hush, let me work out what it's saying."

The Doctor leans over further to try and hear better, "It's some sort of message."

"What's it say?" Rose asks him.

"Don't know. It's on a loop, keeps repeating."

A loud noise comes from the speaker, temporarily blocking the signal.

"Hush!" The Doctor yells.

"That's not me. Go and see who that is."

Mickey must have pulled the phone away from his face because there was a bit of static and all they could hear was the signal.

"It's beaming out into space, who's it for?"

Talia leans closer, trying to hear it better.

"They've found us." Mickey voice comes again, this time seeming slightly panicked.

"Mickey, I need that signal."

Talia sends a small glare at the Doctor as Rose just leans closer to the speaker, "Never mind the signal, get out! Mum, just get out! Get out!"

"We can't. It's by the front door." There was a pause before Mickey spoke again, "Oh, my God, it's unmasking. It's going to kill us."

"It won't kill you, you'll be fine Mickey, Jackie." Talia says in a panic.

Harriet's voice raises as she stares at the Doctor, "There has to be some way of stopping them! You're supposed to be the expert, think of something!"

"I'm trying!" He yells back as he runs around the table.

They stand silently for a moment as they listen to Mickey, "I'll take it on, Jackie. You just run. Don't look back. Just run."

Talia winced as she heard the door coming apart. She looks to Rose who was looking at the Doctor in fear.

"That's my mother."

The Doctor looks at Rose for a moment before he makes eye contact with Talia. He stares at her long enough to send butterflies racing through her stomach before he nods and runs around the room, "Right, If we're going to find their weakness, we need to find out where they're from. Which planet. So, judging by their basic shape, that narrows it down to five thousand planets within travelling distance. What else do we know about them? Information!"

He runs to the end of the table with everyone following him, including Ganesh, and they lean over the table.

"They're green." Rose supplies.

"Yep, narrows it down."

Talia spoke next, "Good sense of smell."

"Narrows it down."

Ganesh stood up straight, "They can smell adrenalin."

"Narrows it down."

A thought hit Talia and she spoke without another thought, "The pig technology."

The Doctor eyes her before nodding, "Narrows it down."

Rose looks between the two of them before adding,"The spaceship in the Thames, you said slipstream engine?"

"Narrows it down."

"It's getting in!" Mickey's panic could be felt through the speaker.

Talia's heart picked up as she looked at the Doctor.

"They hunt like it's a ritual." Rose almost yells out.

"Narrows it down."

Harriet held up her hands, "Wait a minute. Did you notice? When they fart, if you'll pardon the word, it doesn't just smell like a fart, if you'll pardon the word, it's something else. What is it? It's more like, er-"

Ganesh jumped up, "Bad breath!"

Harriet grinned, "That's it!"

The Doctor grinned and runs to stand in front of the door, "Calcium decay! Now, that narrows it down!"

"We're getting there, Mum!" Rose yells.

"Too late!" Mickey yells.

The Doctor paces in front of the door with a grin, "Calcium phosphate. Organic calcium. Living calcium. Creatures made out of living calcium. What else? What else? Hyphenated surname. Yes! That narrows it down to one planet. Raxacoricofallapatorius!"

"Oh, yeah, great. We could write 'em a letter."

The Doctor runs back to the speaker, "Get into the kitchen! Calcium, weakened by the compression field. Acetic acid. Vinegar!"

"Just like Hannibal!"

"Just like Hannibal. Mickey, have you got any vinegar?"

"How should I know?" Mickey's voice came through with the screeching from the Slitheen.

"It's your kitchen." The Doctor yells.

"Cupboard by the sink, middle shelf."

"What do you need?" Jackie's voice asked, breathless.

"Anything with vinegar!" The Doctor tells her.

"Gherkins. Yeah, pickled onions. Pickled eggs." Jackie names off things.

Talia grimaced and looked to Rose the same time the Doctor did.

"And you kiss this man?"

"Please tell me he brushes his teeth before you do," Talia adds with a laugh.

All five of them could hear the loud fart and the explosion as Jackie throws the concoction onto the Slitheen.

They all sit back with a sigh as Rose looks at Harriet, "Hannibal?"

"Hannibal crossed the Alps by dissolving boulders with vinegar."

Rose picks up five glasses filled with alcohol and passes them out, "Oh. Well, there you go then."

They all toast and then take a sip which had Talia grimacing.

Talia sits down as the Doctor walks over to her, "Your neck."

Her hand wraps around it before she grimaces, "I honestly forgot about that."

He sits next to her, "What happened?"

"The she-alien, Margaret I think Ganesh said her name was. Well she was about to grab him and I pushed him out of the way."

"She got you instead."

Talia nodded, "He would have died if I hadn't."

"You don't know that," He tested.

"Yes I do," She responded without thought. "Sorry, don't know where that came from. I just couldn't stand by and watch him get hurt."

The Doctor watches her a second longer before nodding, "When this is all over we'll go to the med bay and I'll fix that right up."

Talia groaned, "I'm going to become a permanent fixture in there."

The Doctor grinned as Mickey's voice came back over the speaker, announcing that Green, or Jocrassa, was being broadcasted on the telly.

 _"Our inspectors have searched the sky above our heads and they have found massive weapons of destruction capable of being deployed within forty five seconds."_

They all crowded around the speaker, shocked.

"What?"

 _"Our technicians can baffle the alien probes, but not for long. We are facing extinction, unless we strike first. The United Kingdom stands directly beneath the belly of the mother ship. I beg of the United Nations, pass an emergency resolution. Give us the access codes. A nuclear strike at the heart of the beast is our only chance of survival because from this moment on it is my solemn duty to inform you planet Earth is at war."_

"The Doctor stands up and walks to the head of the table, "He's making it up. There's no weapons up there, there's no threat. He just invented it."

"Do you think they'll believe him?" Harriet asked him.

"They will." Talia said sadly.

Rose added, "They did last time."

"That's why the Slitheen went for spectacle. They want the whole world panicking, because you lot, you get scared, you lash out." The Doctor begins walking towards the door.

"They release the defence code."

"And the Slitheen go nuclear."

"But why?" Harriet asked.

The Doctor just opened the metal shutters and looks at the Slitheen who are standing guard, "You get the codes, release the missiles, but not into space because there's nothing there. You attack every other country on Earth. They retaliate, fight back. World War Three. Whole planet gets nuked."

The She-Slitheen, Margaret, appears from behind the three Slitheen, and she walks to the door, "And we can sit through it safe in our spaceship waiting in the Thames. Not crashed, just parked. Only two minutes away."

"But you'll destroy the planet, this beautiful place. What for?" Harriet asked her.

"Profit. That's what the signal is beaming into space. An advert." The Doctor surmised.

 _Always about money,_ Talia thinks as she watches Margaret.

Margaret smiles, "The sale of the century. We reduce the Earth to molten slag, then sell it piece by piece. Radioactive chucks, capable of powering every cut-price star liner and budget cargo ship. There's a recession out there, Doctor. People are buying cheap. This rock becomes raw fuel."

The Doctor just stares at Margaret, "At the cost of five billion lives."

She shrugs, "Bargain."

"I give you a choice. Leave this planet or I'll stop you."

The three Slitheen and Margaret laugh, "What, you? Trapped in your box?"

"Yes. Me." The Doctor doesn't look away from Margaret as he reaches over and closes the shutters on them.

The Doctor just walks back to the speaker with a frown on his face.

"Talia?"

Talia looks over at Rose, "Yes, Rosie?"

"Have you- can you?"

"What's wrong?"

Rose pulled Talia to the side of the room and began whispering, "One of your feelings would be great right about now."

"I-I don't control it Rose, you know that."

Rose sighs, "I know, I'm just scared."

"We'll make it out of this, promise."

"Is this one of your feelings?" Rose asked.

"Would it make you feel any better if I said yes?"

"Would it make you mad if it would?"

Talia smiled, "No, I wouldn't be mad."

"Then yes, it would make me feel better if it was. You're never wrong."

Talia stared at her slightly shaking blonde friend, "Yes, it is one of my feelings."

Rose sighed and nodded, "Good. Thank you, Lia."

"You're welcome"

Talia felt awful about lying to Rose, but if saying she had a feeling about them all making out alive would help her sister-friend feel better then that is what she would do.

Talia and Rose walked to the table in time to hear Jackie start speaking, while the Doctor leaned against the wall.

"All right, Doctor. I'm not saying I trust you, but there must be something you can do."

"If we could ferment the port, we could make acetic acid."

"Mickey, any luck?" Rose asked him.

"There's loads of emergency numbers. They're all on voicemail." His voice said.

Harriet puts the decanter back on the tray, "Voicemail dooms us all."

"If we could just get out of here." Rose sighed.

"There's a way out." The Doctor said lowly.

Talia tensed as a bad feeling ran down her spine. She looked at the Doctor in resignation.

"What?" Rose asked him.

"There's always been a way out." The Doctor looked between Rose and Talia.

"Then why don't we use it?"

The Doctor got up and walked to the table, "Because I can't guarantee your daughter or Talia will be safe."

Jackie's upset voice rang through the speaker, "Don't you dare. Whatever it is, don't you dare."

"That's the thing. If I don't dare, everyone dies."

Rose looked at Talia who nodded and they both looked at the Doctor, "Do it." They said together.

The Doctor stared at Rose for a moment before shifting his eyes to Talia, "You don't even know what it is. You'd both just let me?"

Talia could only nod as Rose answered, "Yeah."

"Please, Doctor. Please. She's my daughter. She's - they're just kids."

"Do you think I don't know that?" The Doctor spoke softly to the speaker, "Because this is my life, Jackie. It's not fun, it's not smart, it's just standing up and making a decision because nobody else will."

"Then what're you waiting for?" Rose asked.

The Doctor hesitated a moment, "I could save the world but lose you two."

The butterflies came back full force as the Doctor switched his gaze onto Talia again, she couldn't deny it, she was crushing.

"Except it's not your decision, Doctor. It's mine." Harriet's voice broke through Talia's thoughts.

"And who the hell are you?"

Harriet stood up straight, "Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North. The only elected representative in this room, chosen by the people for the people. And on behalf of the people, I command you. Do it."

The Doctor grins at Rose and Talia as he reaches over and grabs the Red Box.

"How do we get out?" Rose asked as she stood up and looked around.

"Oh, Rose," Talia whispered.

"We don't. We stay here."

He pulls some of the papers out and starts going through them, "Use the buffalo password. It overrides everything."

"Hacking into the Royal Navy. We're in. Here it is. HMS Taurean, Trafalgar Class submarine, ten miles off the coast of Plymouth."

The Doctor nods, "Right, we need to select a missile."

"We can't go nuclear. We don't have the defence codes."

"We don't need it. All we need's an ordinary missile. What's the first category?"

"Sub Harpoon, UGM-A4A."

"That's the one. Select." The Doctor looked to all four of the other occupants in the room before looking back at the speaker, "You ready for this?"

"Yeah."

"Mickey the idiot, the world is in your hands. Fire."

There was only silence until Harriet walks to the walls, "How solid are these?"

The Doctor shakes his head, "Not solid enough. Built for short range attack, nothing this big."

Talia glanced at Rose who was looking around the room, "You got this Rosie."

Rose nodded and backed away, "All right, now I'm making the decision. I'm not going to die. We're going to ride this one out. It's like what they say about earthquakes. You can survive them by standing under a door frame. Now, this cupboard's small so it's strong. Come and help me. Come on."

Talia walks over to the cupboard with Harriet and Ganesh following and they all three quickly begin to pull the items out of it.

"Leave him," Talia says as Ganesh tries to move the body.

"Why?" Ganesh asked.

"So his family can have a body to bury instead a pile of ashes."

Ganesh nods and places the body back on the floor before continuing to pull out things.

"It's on radar." MIckey says, "Counter defence five five six."

"Stop them intercepting it." The Doctor tells him.

"I'm doing it now." Mickey assures.

"Good boy."

"Five five six neutralised."

They finish pulling everything but the body out and the Doctor unplugs the phone and walks to the cupboard just as a fire alarm starts blaring.

All five climb into the cupboard, being mindful of the body and crouch down.

"Here we go. Nice knowing you both. Hannibal!"

Talia barely gets out a laugh before they are hit.

 **KABOOM!**

They are thrown around the cupboard, Talia banging her head against something, before what felt like a year later, they shaking stopped.

Talia sat still, trying to control her dizziness, as the Doctor stood up and opened the door to the cupboard.

"Come on," He said softly as he helped Talia and Rose up as Ganesh help Harriet.

They walked into the cabinet room to see everything was in shambles and against the far wall.

"Let's get out of here," Talia said with a sigh.

Though the building itself looked worse once they were outside.

Talia had to shield her eyes as the sun assaulted them and Rose wrapped an arm around hers.

"Made in Britain." Harriet says as she looked at the damage.

"Oh, my God. Are you alright?" A man in uniform asked as he ran over.

Harriet held out her badge, "Harriet Jones. MP, Flydale North. I want you to contact UN immediately. Tell the ambassadors the crisis is over. They can step down. And the body of the Prime Minister was discovered and is in there. Go on, tell the news."

"Yes, ma'am." He said before running off.

Harriet turned to the Doctor, "Someone's got a hell of a job sorting this lot out. Oh, Lord. We haven't even got a Prime Minister."

He grinned at her, "Maybe you should have a go."

Harriet laughed, "Me? Huh. I'm only a back-bencher."

Rose and Talia smiled at her as Rose voiced, "I'd vote for you."

"I'd vote for you too, Harriet." Ganesh said with a smile.

"Now, don't be silly. Look, I'd better go and see if I can help. Hang on!"

Talia watched Harriet carefully climb down the rubble before she felt someone tapping her shoulder. She turned to see Ganesh smiling at her, which caused her to smile back.

"Thank you again, for saving my life."

Talia smiled back at him and shrugged, "Don't mention it, just be careful, okay?"

Ganesh nods and hesitates a moment before he pulls Talia in for a hug, and it only took a small hesitation for her to hug him back.

He didn't hold on for very long before he pulled back and winked at her, "I better go see if Harriet needs any assistance." And with a small wave to the Doctor and Rose, who were watching curiously, he began his own walk down the rubble before catching up to Harriet.

"We're safe! The Earth is safe!" She yelled out. "Sergeant!"

The Doctor looked at Talia before grinning and began walking down the rubble, "I thought I knew the name. Harriet Jones, future Prime Minister. Elected for three successive terms. The architect of Britain's Golden Age."

Talia and Rose smiled at each other before following behind him, hearing Harriet yelling, "The crisis has passed! Ladies and gentlemen, I have something to say to you all here today! Mankind stands tall, proud and undefeated. God bless the human race."

"What will you do now?" The Doctor asked as the three of them walked down the street.

"I'm going home," Rose said. "My mom deserves an explanation."

"Since it's been a year now I'm sure my house has been abandoned and I don't fancy cleaning right now."

The Doctor nods as Rose waves and runs to the Tyler residence.

"Don't worry, she'll be back." Talia says with a pat to his shoulder.

"And how do you know that?" He asked as they reached the Tardis.

"She's my best friend, i know these kinds of things."

The Doctor eyed her, then he notices the paint on the side of the Tardis. He groans and walks over to it.

 _Bad Wolf._

A cold shiver ran down her spine as she read those words on the Tardis. This had been the third time she has heard those words. But she shook it off since the only fuss the Doctor was making was that someone had the audacity to paint his Tardis.

Talia walked into the Tardis and walked all the way to her room without the Doctor noticing.

As soon as she closed her bedroom door she stripped down and walked into the bathroom that was attached for a long shower.

She was washing her hair when she winced and pulled her hand away to see dried blood come away. It must have been cut when she hit her head on whatever she hit it on.

Once she finished, she stepped out of the shower and saw that the Tardis had provided her with fresh undergarments, a pair of jeans, and a green shirt.

"Thank you," Talia said softly as she got dressed.

Talia could have sworn she heard a hum in reply but shook it off.

Once she was dressed and her hair was dry, she walked out of the room and smiled when she saw the Doctor leaning against the opposite wall.

"Hello," She said softly to him.

"Hello," He grinned. "We have a throat to fix."

"Ah, med bay. And you might want to look at my head while you're at it."

They began walking down the hall and the Doctor turned his head to look at her, "What happened to your head?"

"While we were being bounced around in the human popcorn machine, I hit my head on something, have a small cut."

The Doctor rolled his eyes and opened the door to the sterile med bay, "You may be more accident prone that I thought you were."

Talia could only wink at him, which shocked her, "You know. Rose is always bandaging me up."

The Doctor laughed, "Maybe we should find you a bodysuit to wear."

"Or a suit of armor! Always wanted to try one of those on!" The Doctor chuckled as Talia continued, "Though with my luck I'd get hurt anyways."

"Has this always happened?" The Doctor asked as he got a long metal instrument out of a drawer and motioned for her to sit on the chair.

She sat on it and looked back at the Doctor, "Me being accident prone?" At the Doctor's nod Talia grimaced, "More so in the past ten years or so."

"SInce maturity?" He stepped closer to her and lifted her chin up and then placed the metal instrument against her neck.

She could barely breath in his proximity but she pushed through it and nodded as the metal device began rubbing around her bruised neck. "Yes."

He held it against her neck for a minute more before he pulled it back and sat it on the table next to them as he stepped away and grabbed what looked like a cream of some sort.

"Interesting," He said as he walked back over and tilted her head to the side and moved her hair out of the way.

The butterflies were going crazy along with her heart as she breathed out, "How is that interesting."

"Many things about you are interesting."

She stared into his eyes as he put the cream on her cut, "Like what?"

His eyes flicked down to hers before he focussed, "You're not ready to know."

"Know what?" She asked curiously.

He grinned as he pulled away and put the cream and instrument away and then cleaned his hands. "Not yet, Talia."

"Then when?"

"Who knows." With one last grin he walked out of the med bay.

Talia sat there shocked before she jumped up and walked to the console room where the Doctor was now pressing buttons and pulling out a phone.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Calling Rose." He answered her. Talia assumed Rose answered the phone call because the Doctor began talking again, "Right, I'll be a couple of hours, then we can go." There was a pause before the Doctor grinned, "You think I can travel through space and time and I haven't got a phone? Like I said, couple of hours. I've just got to send out this dispersal. There you go. That's cancelling out the Slitheen's advert in case any bargain hunters turn up."

He pressed a few more buttons and pulled a lever on the Tardis as Talia leaned against one of the columns.

"Good. Put her on a slow heat and let her simmer."

Talia jerked up and looked at the Doctor in confusion.

"Jackie's cooking," He said to her before angling back towards the phone, "I don't do that."

Talia leaned back again and watched the Doctor have a conversation she could only hear half of.

"Tough. I've got better things to do"

Talia rolled her eyes, _Men._

"Not to me it isn't."

She stood up and walked to the door of the Tardis, not wanting to listen anymore, a strange, new feeling gripping her as she heard the Doctor talking to Rose.

She walked out to see a little boy cleaning off the words and Mickey sitting on a trash bin watching him while reading the newspaper.

"Hey Micks." Talia smiled as she sat on a bin beside him.

"Hey Lia." He responded.

"You did pretty well today," She said while bumping her shoulder against his.

Mickey smiled, "I wouldn't have been able to do anything if the Doctor hadn't told me what to do." He grimaced, "Don't tell him I said that."

Talia laughed, "I won't."

The Doctor chose then to walk out of the Tardis and approach the boy who had finished cleaning Bad Wolf off the side, "Good lad. Graffiti that again and I'll have you. Now, beat it."

The boy picks up his scrubbing brush and bucket and runs off immediately.

"You didn't scare him did you?" Talia asked.

The Doctor grinned, "I just told him if he didn't clean off his tag."

Talia hummed and just eyed the Doctor before she rolled her eyes

Mickey spoke up as he read the newspaper, "I just went down the shop, and I was thinking, you know, like the whole world's changed. Aliens and spaceships all in public. And here it is."

Talia glared when she saw the headlines:

 **The Evening Standard headline is - Alien Hoax**

"How could they do that? They saw it." Mickey asked.

"They're just not ready. You're happy to believe in something that's invisible, but if it's staring you in the face, nope, can't see it. There's a scientific explanation for that. You're thick."

All three of them laughed as Mickey shook his head, "We're just idiots."

"Well, not all of you." The Doctor said as he looked at Talia and Mickey.

"Yeah?" Mickey said, shocked.

"Present for you, Mickey." The Doctor held out a CD and handed it to Mickey. "That's a virus. Put it online. It'll destroy every mention of me. I'll cease to exist."

"What do you want to do that for?" Mickey asked with a frown, and Talia was wondering the same thing.

"Because you're right, I am dangerous. I don't want anybody following me."

Talia looks over and sees Jackie and Rose exiting the building.

"How can you say that and then take them with you?"

Talia gasped dramatically, "Hey, I can take care of myself. Sometimes. Usually."

The Doctor grinned at her then looked at Mickey, "You could look after them. Come with us."

Mickey looked at Talia before shaking his head, "I can't. This life of yours, it's just too much. I couldn't do it. Talia, don't tell her I said that."

"I won't, Micks," Talia said as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"I'll get a proper job." They heard Jackie say as as she and Rose got closer and the Doctor turned around and walked to the Tardis doors, 'll work weekends. I'll pass my test, and if Jim comes round again, I'll say no. I really will."

"I'm not leaving because of you. I'm travelling, that's all, and then I'll come back.

"But it's not safe."

"Mum, if you saw it out there you'd never stay home."

Rose turned to the Doctor with a smile.

"Got enough stuff?"

"Last time I stepped in there, it was spur of the moment. Now I'm signing up. You're stuck with me. And Talia." Rose gives her rucksack to the Doctor with a wink that churned Talia's stomach. and then walked over to where Mickey and Talia were now standing.

Talia back away as Rose went straight to Mickey, "Come with us. There's plenty of room."

MIckey and Talia both glance at the Doctor as he nods, "No chance. He's a liability, I'm not having him on board."

"We'd be dead without him. Talia?"

Talia shrugs, "It's the Doctor's Tardis, his decision."

"My decision is final."

"Sorry." Rose says to Mickey as Talia winks at him, then Rose kisses him which had Talia rolling her eyes.

"Good luck, yeah." Talia hears Mickey whisper to Rose.

"You still can't promise me. What if she gets lost? What if something happens to you, Doctor, and they're left all alone standing on some moon a million light years away. How long do I wait then?"

Talia looks at Rose and then motions for Jackie.

Rose nods and gently grabs her mom shoulders, "Mum, you're forgetting. It's a time machine. We could go travelling around suns and planets and all the way out to the edge of the universe, and by the time we get back, yeah, ten seconds would have passed. Just ten seconds. So stop worrying. See you in ten seconds' time, yeah?"

Rose pulls Jackie in for a tight hug and then links arms with Talia as they walk into the Tardis together.

The walk to the console and stare at the Doctor who grins at them, "Where to next?"

Talia and Rose exchange a glance before Talia grins at the Doctor, "Surprise us."


End file.
